


Burning

by NovelistNoel3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe- Dystopian, Am i drunk?, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Ballroom Dancing, DNA, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fire, Fluff and Angst, Fuckbuddies, Fucking, Hux is Not Nice, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I actually love Gwendolyn Christie, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm a weirdo, I'm so sorry, In this fic Kylo isn't a Skywalker, Kylo Ren is a thief, Masterbation, Oral Sex, Phasma is worse, Rough Sex, Science, Shameless Smut, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Violence, blowjob, i'm a horrible writer, lots of death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-11-28 18:21:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 72,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11423547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovelistNoel3/pseuds/NovelistNoel3
Summary: So I've basically changed a novel I wrote one year for NaNoWriMo into a Reylo fic. Forgive me if it is awful. I try my best, I promise.It's the distant future! Executive Order 66 has ushered in years of pain and suffering for the people of Bellona. Blood testing is the only way some can survive since food and money is scarce among the "dirty bloods" of society. For Rey Kenobi, this way of life is usual, and she hates it almost as much as she hates the Supreme Leader. To make things worse, the storm troopers who inhabit her province of Jakku interrogate anyone they can find about the whereabouts of the mysterious thief, Kylo Ren, who has evaded capture by the capital for years.





	1. Welcome to Hell

I shivered in the cold air as the crowd around me was pushed forward, the rain creating a tiny pitter-patter sound against the cobblestone of the town square. In the middle of the square stood soldiers, dressed in a deep black. Each held guns to the heads of convicts, who wore sacks over their heads.

 _“Pay the ultimate price for rebellion,”_ A voice echoed through the square. “ _The Supreme Leader’s word is absolute, there is no higher power. His word is law.”_

As the gunshots fired I closed my eyes, turning away. The people around me began walking home, others gathered around the podium, begging the soldiers for money or food. I hugged my arms closer to my body, ignoring the rumbling of my stomach. It had been a while since I had eaten.

Dodging a band of pickpockets, I found shelter from the storm underneath the branches of an oak tree. Mornings like these were normal here in Bellona. The crowd today was lucky the soldiers didn’t decide to gut the prisoners.

The United States of America is now gone. After the Clone Wars, the people attacked their own government and overthrew it after the collapse of several political parties. Destroying the constitution, the founders of Bellona created new governing laws which resulted in a new age of monarchy. The government started to ennoble the weak-minded and prey on those who would oppose them. The leader of the pack of carnivorous wolves was the alpha, Supreme Leader Anakin Skywalker.

Like a snake hidden in the bushes waiting to strike, the Supreme Leader preys upon the weak and vulnerable of our society. Coercing people into worshipping him as a god, he would threaten and deceive anyone who stood in his path. To those who only see his face, he doesn’t seem like a man who would rule a country like Bellona, but deep down inside everyone was aware of his hard and cruel personality. Rumors said he was cruel because of his brother. Others said he was kind behind closed doors, and that the cruelty he inflicted upon the Provinces was just for show.

The Supreme Leader always says that everything he does is for the good of the people, and for Bellona. Sometimes I would try to force myself to believe him, then I would remember the painful reality of all the horrible things he had done.

There was always something about him, about his family. Whenever he walked into a room a person could feel as if they were never in control, even the most dominant of personalities would turn submissive.

When I was a child, I was terrified of him. I had scared myself into believing a nightmare that the Supreme Leader would come into my room in the middle of the night and take me away to the palace, where he would devour me for his dinner.

Sometimes I would imagine my father taking me in his arms, embracing me tightly as he whispered comforting words in my hair. _Don’t worry,_ he would say. _I won’t let him hurt you._ The only thing was, I had no father. Without him around, my mother and I are left alone.

It wasn’t uncommon for teenagers in my sector to be missing family members. Civil War and sickness has taken many in Bellona, including children. My mother told me when I was young that I had a brother, but he died of the plague a few years after I was born.

Those who survived the plague are lucky, and the government continues to look for an antidote to different strains. Those who live in poverty like my mother and I do often have to sell their bodies to the government for Order 66. In one way or another, debts pile up and there is no way out. The hole is dug too deep.

I didn’t remember why, but I had a memory of walking through a darkened hallway when I was a little older than five. I had no idea where I was, but I knew that I didn’t like being there. I remembered a deep voice, speaking to my mother as I shifted around the room quietly behind her.

_“-due to the massive backlog for cures, we need the sample today. Unless you would prefer to spend a few nights in prison leaving your little girl to fend for herself?”_

I recalled seeing a dark room behind me. The shadows crept up the wall and seemed to follow people as they walked into hallway. The door handle had a bloody fingerprint on it, and that was when I knew the person inside was hurt. Another doctor came and spoke to my mother, speaking to her in hushed voices. I snuck away while she was distracted, moving towards the room to see what was inside. When I pushed aside the door, I screamed. There were needles everywhere, marching up her arms and legs. A few stuck out of her neck, each needle covered in dried blood. The woman’s skin was ghost white and her eyes were clouded and pale. She was staring right at me.

                “ _Help...me,”_ she said in a soft voice before her chest stopped moving.

She was dead. I don’t remember what happened afterward, just that I began to cry and fled from the room.

My stomach rumbled as a wave of nausea churned in my belly, breaking me from my thoughts. The town square was now deserted, leaving me standing alone with the dead. Rainwater dripped into my eyes, forcing me to look away.

A dull bell chimed in the distance, bringing life into the streets as people emerged from their houses. I walked into the crowd, keeping my arms close to my body as I moved towards the dining area. If I had enough money I could sit down and eat, but the dining area was designated only for “pure” families who attended the court of the Supreme Leader.

If you belonged to a pure family, it meant that you had been blessed by God himself. Each person born in Bellona would have their blood tested from birth for defects like cancer or plague. Pure families had been “pure” for generations. They made up the aristocracy, and if any child had been born “dirty” in a pure family, they were tossed into the street; forgotten. If you were born poor, your ancestors had faults in their DNA the capitol didn’t want mixing in the “pure” gene pool, whether it involved obesity, cancer, plague.

Like the rest of the workers I stayed at the side of the Dining Room, turning down the service hallway away from the sitting area. Swiping my keycard at the entrance, I moved out of the hallway to the back of the dining area away from the tables to the kitchen where I could clean dishes.

The dining area was a tough place to work at first, but I got used to it. Families moved in and out through the day, often leaving leftover food on their plates. I was always tempted by the sweeter foods to take a quick bite before washing the remnants away into the swirling water pool. I never did though, I knew the punishment. I knew pures who would eat in the Dining Area. They would tempt the waiters and other workers to eat the food all so they could have the entertainment of watching some poor soul get beaten. If you were caught eating the leftovers you could be whipped 50 times for the delicacy you ingested. Often it was more, depending on the mood of the Storm Troopers who were on patrol of the forum.

The Storm Troopers are Bellona’s police and soldiers. Hundreds are stationed throughout Bellona, with the single job of tormenting the citizens who haven’t been designated “pure” into submission. Most Storm Troopers are from pure families, but others come from poor backgrounds. If a family is desperate enough to earn more money, if a member of their household is eighteen and has passed different screening tests, they would be deemed fit enough to join the centurion ranks. The Storm Troopers aren’t considered “dirty” or “pure”, but they are close enough to “dirty” that they sit in a different area of the dining hall. The dishwashing station I work at is close to the table where they eat every day.

Washing dishes isn’t the only job I have. It pays very little compared to other jobs that are available in my sector, but I don’t have enough experience or training to do any of them. I’ve always had to pick up odd jobs I could find available. However, with all the jobs I could find, I still struggle to make ends meet. Some nights I don’t even have enough to feed myself. My mother has tried to help by getting a job herself, but she has been fired from all her other previous jobs because she never shows up to work, or is always drunk whenever she does.

My father’s death was the first time she ever touched a drop of alcohol. Since then, our house has always been littered with empty bottles of moonshine and homemade liquor, or any other type of fermented drink my mother has tried. Before she was always clear headed and strong, always smiling. After my father’s death, she wouldn’t stop crying, she would forget to pay the bills, she wouldn’t eat or sleep.

She was a Doctor at the Hospital in the main sector of my Province, but then her hands started to shake. She would drink before, during, and after work. By the time I was ten she had been fired, and reassigned to work at the sector infirmary where nurses would take care of wounded Storm Troopers or host a clinic for the poorer people from our Province. My mother’s supervisor knows that when I show up instead, my mother would not be available for work, but he doesn’t complain. Medical personnel are scarce in my sector, which raises the mortality rate among the Province.

When I work at the infirmary I am forced to change into my mother’s uniform which barely fits. The uniform is a pale gray and government issued. The older women who work in the infirmary say it is because all medical personnel must look alike to not cause any distraction among other staff or the patients. Otherwise, if we were dressed differently, and the Supreme Leader ever stopped to have a look around, he would be angry that his royal seal was not on my chest.

Even if someone did think for herself, she wouldn’t tell anyone, on threat of getting punished by the sector Storm Troopers. Some days I think about the Old Country that was here before us. Did they have problems like this? If the people ever did, someone should have done something about it to save us all from this Hell that we know today.

It’s too late now. It’s only wishful thinking. My own cowardice gets in the way of my thoughts when I am reminded of my mother living on her own after I am executed. She would become homeless, living under a bridge or in the forest struggling to survive. I let wishful thinking be wishful thinking, and ignore my anger for my mother. I try to be loyal, to be brain dead like everyone else but it never works. I still want him gone.

                “ _The Supreme Leader’s words are law,_ ” the voice echoed through my head. “ _Pay the ultimate price for rebellion._ ”

I will never be loyal to the Supreme Leader. I am not brain dead. The Supreme Leader’s word will never be absolute. Then again, wishful thinking can go a long way, even for an impoverished teenager.


	2. A run in with a stranger

Dirt can always pile up on china plates very quickly, so I have to start scrubbing right away when I begin my shift. After the morning’s execution, the aristocratic families piled into the dining area, feasting upon eggs benedict and toasted sugar-rolls. Wrinkling my nose as the smell drifted over, I started scrubbing a stain harder. A man and his wife laughed at my concentration as they passed and I held back the urge to splash the dish water onto their shoes.

If the calendar by my station was correct, today would be one week before my eighteenth birthday. If I was younger and naïve, I would wish for a cake like the richer children would have. I would ask for a present, something expensive too. I knew I wouldn’t be getting anything for my birthday, I usually didn’t receive anything besides a pay check.

I liked thinking about my own birthday cake, what it would look like. I wanted it to be circular, like the tall fancy cakes that were served in the dining area. A short circular cake with plain buttercream, decorated with blue and yellow flowers. The candles would be white, tall and thin. What would I wish for? There were so many things, too many to list, and I am too greedy.

I flinched, almost dropping a china plate as shouting interrupted my thoughts. I looked up from my dirty towel, seeing a man dressed in overalls, a dirty blood, with slicked backed hair starting to throw rotten eggs at the pure bloods who were eating breakfast. The Storm Troopers that sat in the dining area quickly rushed from their seats, incapacitating him.

          “I wonder how _he_ got in here. Why is he angry with us? It's not our fault he's poor.” a woman who sat nearby asked in a stuffy voice. She narrowed her eyes as she caught me staring at her, turning back to her eggs benedict.

          “I don’t know,” the man she sat with answered her. “Perhaps he had tried to submit himself with hopes of money and was turned down? I wish the Storm Troopers could just move them all away into the forest and leave us the city, but sadly we must live among these wretches.”

I glared at the two strangers and looked back down at the plate I had been scrubbing. When the poor get desperate they turn to anything to get them out of their slump. Some sell themselves, their children. Some steal, others turn to the law for help. For some the only option they have is to sell their bodies to the scientists who have been searching for a cure to the plague. Not being able to coerce people into submitting blood, or DNA because of too much opposition, the Supreme Leader and his council decided to create a law that would allow the drawing of random names from a sector each month. Everyone in the sectors knew that if you were desperate for money, you could always volunteer. It was never recommended for a person to volunteer themselves due to the classified nature of the Order 66. A person could walk into the building where the testing for Order 66 took place and come back out in a coffin.

Rumors always sparked in the sectors about what took place in the government research facilities. One rumor most know were true was what could happen to a person if you were tested for the Jedi gene. No one knew much about the Jedi gene, and what it mutated in a person’s body, but people knew that you could be executed for possessing it. It has always been that way, facts about the gene itself were highly classified. Whispers still managed to find their way to the sectors, rich or poor. What was known about the gene was very little, but people thrived on the information they could find. Some say that the gene infected you with a disease that was highly contagious, even more than the plague.

It is common to see groups of Storm Troopers taking away people in my sector, which is like a village, to be executed at the palace. The families of these people don’t even say goodbye; they just turn up their noses and let them get dragged away to die.

No matter how poor we get, or how close we come to losing our house, my mother has never mentioned volunteering for Order 66. Even when we are supposed to submit our names for the drawing, she has never said anything about what would happen if either of our names were drawn. I think she has always feared it.

The bell tolled in the square, signaling the end of the work day. I placed my final clean plate down, and ended my shift at the dishwashing station, swiping my key-card. As I hung up my apron, my supervisor came by, and handed me my payment for the week.

“Get somethin’ good with this money girl,” he said. “Don’t let ya mother take it again.”

“I’ll try sir,” I said, shoving the money into the pocket of my jacket. The Storm Troopers of my sector told me to take it off regularly, because it was a man’s flannel shirt. It belonged to my father, and was one of the final items of clothes he left behind after he died. I loved the smell the faded olive green fabric held. The faint smell of an early morning’s rain was forever intertwined with the wool, and gave me a sense of comfort.

I began my walk home through the forum. People selling numerous items shouted at me, noticing the envelope that created a bulge in my pocket. I passed a booth decorated with jewels, ignoring the vendor’s cries.

                “Young lady,” A man said, touching my shoulder. “Have you no pity for the poor?”

I frowned, recognizing the voice of the sector priest, Father Palpatine. All priests in Bellona were a member of the Supreme Leader’s counsel, and were often the people to turn in families who harbored their children from being experimented on. I didn’t know why his church existed, not many people attended his services the days it was open.

                “I have plenty pity for the poor,” I said. “I need this money. I’m not going to give it to you just so you can put it in the Supreme Leader’s pockets.”

                “Mind your tongue girl!” Father Palpatine spat. “The Supreme Leader is an angel, sent by God to protect us from the evil and desperation of this world. He saves us every day from hellions like Jedi!”

                “Whatever,” I said. “I’m going to spend this on something that is actually needed. Everyone knows that the offering given to your church is used to fund the Strom Trooper's Armory. If there are any poor who actually needed help, I’m sure they wouldn’t come to you.”

The priest turned his back on me and began ranting to another group of people walking by. I rolled my eyes and pushed my way through the crowds.

A group of men crowded around a smaller group of girls, and I shivered in my clothes. I recognized the hunger in the men’s eyes as their money fell into the hands of the booth owner, and a corresponding girl left with the customer. I turned away quickly, not wanting to stare. I never wanted to sell myself, but others like me had no choice. Some didn’t have enough training or skills to find odd jobs, and they were forced into the work.

I looked nothing like the girls who sold themselves. Their hair was curled and their clothes free of any tears or dirt stains. I wore jeans that threatened to fall apart any moment I made big movements, along with an old shirt of my mother’s over a thinner, tan colored shirt with sleeves. It was an outfit I had to wear mostly everyday along with my thick dark hair that remained in tangles.

                “Thinking about joining the business Miss Kenobi?” a teasing voice said behind me.

I rolled my eyes as I met the gaze of my neighbor, Cassian Andor who ran a produce booth with his father.

                “No, I am not,” I said. “I just feel bad for those girls. I know what it feels like to run out of options.”

                Cassian smiled, his eyes moving up and down my body. “Are you sure? You’d make a pretty good escort. I know men who would pay triple the amount they do for those girls to get their hands on you.”

                 I glared at him, shoving my way past his body and back into the crowd. Cassian laughed, jogging up beside me. “You can be a real jerk, you know that?” I hissed.

                “I’m only kidding!” Cassian cried, holding up his hands in submission. “I’m just trying to talk to you. I thought you would like a good joke.”

                “Well, guess what? I don’t find you funny!” I snapped.

                Cassian’s smile fell as a look of hurt washed over his face. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice becoming quiet. “Why don’t I make it up to you? Come to my Dad’s booth. We just harvested fresh produce this morning!”

I rolled my eyes, and sighed, agreeing to follow him. No matter how much Cassian annoyed me I couldn’t deny that his father grew the tastiest vegetables and fruits year-round.

                Cassian showed me an array of boxes, each filled with different combinations of meats. “We just slaughtered the pigs yesterday,” he said. “You can get some pork for extra.”

                “I’ll just have a market basket,” I said. “You know I can’t keep raw meat for long in my house. If you have any that is already cooked I can take that.”

Cassian turned away, gathering together what I ordered. My stomach rumbled as I thought of the contents. Over the years I had watched Cassian’s father grow his vegetables and herbs and once I was even allowed to help plant a row of pumpkins for the fall harvest.

Cassian brought back a basket that was filled with cucumbers, some melon, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, two small containers of squash, and a bag with roasted chicken and pork.

                “One market basket for the lady,” he said, gently placing the basket around my arm. “I’m sorry again, for what I said.” I met Cassian’s apologetic green eyes and shrugged. “You know, you’re going to be eighteen soon,” Cassian said. “I was thinking......We’ve known each other ever since we were kids. I know you are still struggling to pay the rent and debts. My father is going to pass the business onto me soon. The farm has had a good year. In fact, we’re almost up to middle-class status.”

                “Really?” I asked. “Cassian, that’s amazing.”

                “Thanks,” Cassian said, a smile coming across his lips. “So, when your birthday passes in a week or two, would you consider maybe taking a trip to the capitol with me to get a license?”

                “Why?” I asked. “Cassian, I already have plenty of jobs. I can’t have another.”

                “That’s not what I’m asking,” Cassian said, a blush moving across his cheeks. “Rey, I’m asking you to marry me.”

                “What? Cassian are you insane?” _I don’t love you._ “A marriage license costs more than I make in a week!”

                “I’m not asking you to say yes right now,” Cassian said, putting his arms on my shoulders. “Just, think about it? If we get married, your mother can come live with us, and you can sell the house to pay off your debts. You will be able to live a more comfortable life.”

                “Cassian-”

I met Cassian’s gaze, taking in his words. Maybe life wouldn’t be too bad. I could eventually fall in love with him and his dark brown curls. I would no longer be struggling for money, especially if I was married to someone who had middle-class status.

                “Fine,” I said. “I’ll think about it. But I’m not making any promises!”

                Cassian smiled widely, and twirled me around him. “You’ll see Rey ,” he said. “I’ll make a good husband.” Cassian kissed me on the cheek before walking away, behind the booth to help his father with another customer. I sighed, wiping my face on my sleeve as I walked back into the crowd.

Moving past other vendors, my stomach growled when the dessert cart passed through the traffic. A smile came across my lips as I closed my eyes. I could taste the cinnamon on my tongue as if I had just taken a bite out of the largest cinnamon bun. When I reopened my eyes, I was reminded of the prices for the sweet treats. They were expensive enough that I couldn’t afford a cinnamon roll even with a week’s salary! 

I continued walking home, feeling the leftover money jingle in my pocket. If I didn’t hide this money, my mother was going to spend it on liquor. I passed by the last vending booth and stopped at the forum newsstand, which handed out small flyers about what was happening in the other provinces around us.

I took one and skimmed my eyes over the text, then turned to the page with my province’s news. Bolded letters jumped out at my eyes and I turned away for a moment.

**SUPREME LEADER ENRAGED: KYLO REN HAS STRUCK AGAIN!**

I scoffed as the article mentioned the petty thief. The Capital province had given him the nickname when he’d stolen treasure from the royal vault. The security team had seen a man with a Ren tattoo on his neck, carrying out a trunk full of trinkets that could buy me all the cinnamon rolls I desired.

I read over the article quickly, discovering that Kylo Ren was being blamed for stealing the files of an experiment group that was drawn the day before. It wouldn’t be a surprise to me if the thief was the one responsible for robbing the Storm Troopers, but what would he want with a folder full of paper?

I set down the newsletter and turned to walk down the path home. The crowd was thicker behind me, but I bumped into a stranger wearing dark clothing and spilled the squash and cucumbers from my market basket onto the ground.

                 “Hey!” I cried. “That was my dinner!”

Turning towards me, the stranger in the dark hood said nothing to me, he only smiled. He picked up the food from the ground and placed it back in my basket. His hand disappeared into his pocket as he brought out a handful of cash, worth more than three weeks of my salary.

                 “My apologies,” he said. His voice was deep, and ran through my ears like water through a stream. He placed the money in my basket and turned his back to me. “Happy birthday Reyna.”

                 “It isn’t my birthday....H-how do you know my name?” I asked.

The stranger said nothing and walked off into the shadows, as if he had never been there. I quickly counted the money and placed it in my pocket with the change I had from the forum. Whoever the stranger was, he had to be either crazy, or rich. All he left behind was a stack of money, but his smile was the memory that burned into my mind.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I closed the door of my house without a sound, careful not to awaken my mother from another drunken nap. I placed the food down in the small kitchen and felt the money once again in my pocket. My mind ran over the many possibilities I could use it for, and I thought of my pistol.

My pistol was something I had found when I was fifteen. I was cleaning my mother’s room while she was gone during the day and I had found it in a trunk full of dirty clothes and beer bottles.

I had found bullets to go along with the gun, so I began doing target practice on pictures of the Supreme Leader out in the woods behind the house. I always snuck out to shoot when I had bad days at school or at my job.

My pistol was getting a little rusty from years of water-damage and I figured I could buy another gun, a newer gun. My mind was made up, so I walked into my room and shut the door.

I went to the corner of my bed that covered my hiding place, and lifted the bed frame, revealing my box that contained my pistol and silencer, along with some money I hid from my mother in case of an emergency. I stuffed in the rest of the money and examined my pistol. The metal glowed in the dark room as I pointed it at the window, pretending to shoot the tree across from the house. Through the glass, I saw a figure move in the darkness.

I froze in place, ducking underneath the windowpane. It wasn’t uncommon for the homeless to sneak into houses at night and rummage around for food or other supplies. Since we were poor, I couldn’t afford for anyone to take anything we owned.

In case it happened to be my mother sleepwalking I peeked into the living room, but she was asleep on the couch. I dove back into my room, cramming two bullets into the chamber before moving for the door.

 I paused, took and breath and turned the doorknob. I stepped into the night, hearing nothing but crickets and an owl hooting in a nearby tree. I stopped at the tree outside my window and pointed my pistol around me. The leaves rustled and few fell into my hair. 

               “Get away from my house!” I shouted, and placed my finger on the trigger to fire a warning to shot. The shadowy figure jumped out of the tree and tackled me, pinning my arms against the ground, flinging my pistol inches from my hand.

My attacker’s scent distracted me, and I had to breathe it in. He smelled of thick smoke and burning wood. I struggled against his strong grip and kneed him in the chest. He didn’t flinch, he kept focusing on keeping me helpless on the ground. I reached for my gun, my finger brushing up against the barrel and I elbowed him in the face, gathering enough strength to grab the gun and pull the trigger. I shot my attacker in the arm, expecting him to crumple to ground in pain. Instead, he acted like the shot didn’t even faze him, and he rose from his spot, moving a few feet away from me.

I pointed my pistol at him, ready to shoot him again when he ran away into the woods, leaving me pointing my gun at the tree outside my bedroom. I collapsed onto the ground and dropped my pistol, adrenaline pumping through my heart. It almost felt exhilarating but I couldn’t help but feel guilty about shooting him.

I breathed in deeply, trying to get a hold of myself, but I began to hyperventilate. I clenched my fists, slowing down my breathing long enough to notice that my mother was calling for me from inside the house.

              “Rey ? Rey come inside!”

I slipped my pistol into the back of my pants and scanned the tree line for any movement. Nothing else around me looked disturbed so I went back inside, and locked the door. I hadn’t ever shot a real person with my pistol before, but whoever was watching me through my window, had a reason; and I was going to catch them.


	3. Embers

              “Rey, I’m hungry,” my mother said from the couch. Her hands wiped sweat from her face as I came into the room. “Can you make something for dinner?”

              “Can you change into something that doesn’t have your vomit on it?”

My mother rolled her eyes and rose from the chair she had been sleeping in. I stepped into the kitchen and pulled out the roasted chicken and squash.

             “Make a nice soup,” my mother said, following me. “I feel hungover and I don’t want to chew anything.”

             “Mom, I think you are still a little drunk.”

             “No, I am not,” my mother slurred. “Well, maybe a little bit.”

             “How was work today?” I asked. “Did you go?”

My mother shook her head and began slicing up the chicken to put into broth I had boiling on the stove. I sighed angrily. I didn’t have time to take up her shift and my shift at the forum today. If I left early I wouldn’t have been paid.

            “Mom, what have I told you about doing that? You are going to get fired again! We’re already in enough debt!”

           “I know that Reyna,” my mother said, dumping the chicken into the pot. “As a matter of fact I had a reason to miss today and my supervisor knew about it.”

           “Really? What was it?”

           “I had to go to Pantheon to meet with the Province Overseer. They told me that your file was stolen and that you couldn’t be a part of the experiment drawings until it was returned.”

           “How disappointing,” I muttered, chopping up more vegetables.

The Pantheon is the official government building. Not only does it keep records and house the Storm Troopers of a province, but it is also the place where the Order 66 are administered.

          “Why would someone take my file?” I asked.

          “I don’t know,” my mother answered. “That’s not important. The important thing, is that I can rest a little while longer knowing you haven’t been stuck with a needle or whatever they do to you in those cramped rooms.”

I watched the soup boil on the stove, my stomach growling as I smelled the aroma of the chicken and squash molding together into a delicious treat.

                “Cassian asked me something today at the market,” I said, waiting for her reaction. “He said that after my birthday, he wants to marry me.”

                 My mother turned to me, her face full of surprise. “Really?” she asked.

                “He said that after we are married that we could sell the house and you could come live with us. We would pay off our debts and live comfortably. Mother, he said that he is going to be given middle-class status soon.”

                “Rey, this is wonderful!” my mother cried. “We must start saving up for a license!”

                “I don’t know,” I said, turning away from her. “I didn’t say yes.”

                My mother blinked, trying to process what I had just said. “What?”

                “I didn’t say yes. I said that I would think about it.”

                “Reyna Kenobi, are you insane? If you marry Cassian, all of our problems could be solved!”

                “I don’t love him mother!” I shouted. “You loved my Dad, don’t you want the same for me?”

                My mother sighed, cupping my cheeks in her hands. “Of course I do. Things are different in our situation. We can’t afford for you to wait for someone you love to come along.”

                “Maybe if you stopped drinking so much we would be able to,” I muttered.

My mother turned away from me, shaking her head. I turned back to the stove, ignoring her. Once the soup was done, I lifted the pot, careful not to spill any of the hot contents onto the floor. My mother sauntered back into the living room, muttering about a beer can.

Setting the soup pot on the counter, I began chopping up a loaf of bread that I bought the previous week. It had begun to spoil, but I knew my mother wouldn’t care.

                “Just because Cassian Andor is going to be middle-class doesn’t mean I should love him,” I said to myself. “I’m not going to become a gold-digger. I don’t care how poor we are!”

I cried out in pain as the knife in my hand sliced through the skin of the other. I dropped to blade, quickly searching the kitchen for the first aid kit. I couldn’t afford to hurt myself, otherwise I would be dismissed from my job. I wasn’t bleeding heavily, but I wrapped my palm gingerly with some bandages. If the wound got infected the infirmary bill would be costly.

I looked back at the loaf of bread, which had half of its contents spread across the floor. I cleaned up what I had spilled and dined alone while listening to my mother snoring in the other room.

A musical jingle echoed through my ears once the clock turned seven-thirty. An electronic voice began repeating: “ _Mail call, mail call, mail call_.”

I walked over to the mail slot which spilled the day’s letters onto the floor. Shutting the slot, I pressed the button by the door, silencing the computerized woman’s voice. I flipped through the mail, recognizing every letter that passed through my hands. Each envelope had the seal of the Supreme Leader, which meant each one was a bill that was meant to be paid.

My mother neglected to pay the government back their money which often left me to deal with the province tax collector. He came by every month to collect the money for the bills so that we wouldn’t have to send money to the capitol and the money could go back into circulation right in our own province once it was collected and reported by the collector.

I didn’t like our province’s tax collector. He was always rude to me when I had to tell him my mother didn’t have the money to pay him for that month. The tax collector never showed me any pity. He even had my mother locked away for a month for not paying the bills, leaving me to fend for myself.

I read over the bills we had been sent, all of them from bars and clubs where my mother had gone to get a drink. I totaled up the amount in my mind and it reached a whopping thirty-five credits. I couldn’t afford to pay that off with the money I had been given by the stranger earlier in the market. I looked toward the picture of the Supreme Leader which had been hung up by mother when she came home that day. I set down the bills on the table and ripped down the portrait, tossing the framed photo into the garbage.

Cassian must think I was pathetic and weak. I could take care of myself and my mother without his help! I would pay off our debts eventually. It was the Supreme Leader’s fault we were in so deep. The Supreme Leader should be blamed for everything!

I winced as I felt a burning sensation on the back of my neck, and I sat down, feeling the skin prickle with heat. I sniffed the air smelling the bittersweet aroma of heavy smoke. I turned to the stove, seeing nothing billowing from the oven. I still smelled smoke as I glanced down at my hand. I did a double take. Thin tendrils of grey vapor curled from my fingertips like cigarettes. The skin along my nails was bright red, glowing like a lit ember.

I screamed, rushing towards the sink to bathe my hands in cold water. The burning stopped and the flesh on my fingers closed back together, giving my hands the appearance that nothing happened. The bandages on my left hand slipped off, revealing clear skin underneath.

I slouched against the wall, a dozen thoughts going through my head. I decided my mother had slipped some alcohol into the soup and I was probably groggy from the booze. It wasn’t possible that I could have healed myself.

The sound of a chime filled my ears and I groaned, throwing a spoon at the electronic board that hung beside the refrigerator. A man from the capitol began speaking, his voice sounding distorted and choppy. The machine had been broken a while, and I had no desire to fix it. Dizzy, I sat down, forcing myself to listen to whatever the Supreme Leader demanded everyone know this late at night.

Plastered on the screen were the words: **REWARD! ANY INFORMATION WILL BE REWARDED GREATLY WITH MONEY OR FOOD!**

I sighed, it was normal for the Supreme Leader to advertise food and money after Kylo Ren had stolen something from him. He always had many responses because many in Bellona did not prefer Kylo Ren. Even I didn’t feel sorry for the thief. He had stolen items from many families that could have kept them financially afloat.

A booth owner in the forum claimed once that Kylo Ren had stolen his day's earnings, and not even a month later his family was homeless. I sighed as the reporter read the newest update on the runaway, who had been spotted outside my sector along the border of province six.

I turned to the back window of the house, as if I knew he was watching me. I shook off the ludicrous thought, and left the room to prepare for bed. The moment I looked into his eyes for the first time I would be dead. 


	4. A message from the Capitol

The next morning, I went out to the back of the house with my pistol, to see if my attacker had come back to spy on my mother and I again. Finding nothing, I decided it had to be someone who was either drunk or looking for trouble. It wasn’t rare for people to be mugged for money or food, especially with so many families starving to death.

My mother traipsed over to me, sober enough to tell me she was leaving for the morning. She had changed into clothes that didn’t have dried vomit on them, and she had combed her hair out enough that it didn’t look like a bird had made a nest on her head.

              “Are you going to work?” I asked.

              “No, they called me back to the Pantheon. I’m going to be gone the whole day. You know where the food is, I guess?”

              “Yes mother,” I said, kissing her cheek. “Don’t touch a drop of alcohol today!”

My mother left without saying another word, and I looked towards the clock tower that sat in the middle of the town square in the distance. The clock’s hands moved close to seven-thirty, and I rushed inside to change into my infirmary uniform.

The fabric on the uniform was soft and velvety, which comforted me after a long shift caring for Storm Troopers who I believed didn’t deserve medical attention. It was common for me to receive patients that had been shot by the Storm Troopers. The gamut of the ages and genders changed daily.

My shift at the infirmary grew long as the day moved on, and I was happy once I was relieved of my duties and could have a small break for lunch. Falling victim to gluttony, I brought most of what I had paid for the day before at the forum for lunch.

Sitting underneath a tree outside of the dining area in the forum, I munched on a cucumber. My eyes scanned my surroundings as a moment of peace passed over me. This moment did not last very long as two Storm Troopers came into the square, shoving past the crowds.

My hand moved into my bag and clasped my pistol as I saw them approaching me. They towered over me easily in height like mountains and I gulped.

               “Rey Kenobi?” one asked.

               “Yes?” I shifted in my place.

               “It is my duty to inform you that you have been selected to be experimented on by the government in two days’ time, at ten-hundred hours. If you do not appear at your scheduled time, you shall be punished by your sector’s storm trooper general, _publicly_.”

               “Does my mother know about this? She told me my file was one that was stolen.”

               “We found it,” the storm trooper replied curtly.

               “If you found my file, why was she called to the Pantheon today?” I asked.

My heart picked up pace as I went over situations in my mind. Knowing the cruelty that the Storm Troopers enforced, my blood boiled. What had they done to her?

               “Your mother is receiving a pardon tax from his majesty. He is sending all the families money who had something taken from them by the man we arrested this morning.”

               I narrowed my eyes. “You didn’t get the files back, did you?” I asked, examining the storm trooper’s emotionless expression. “That’s why I’ve been chosen?”

              The two Storm Troopers shifted in their places and one slammed his fist down onto the table, and leaned forward. “Whatever rumor you have heard isn’t true.”

               “I’ve always listened to rumors-”

               “Well you are going to disregard this one!” the storm trooper shouted, clenching his fists around the fabric of my shirt.

The other storm trooper with him stood silently, his body language not sitting right with my stomach. I knew something was wrong; I knew they were lying to me about something. The storm trooper who had me in his arms slapped me with the back of his hand, pointing the barrel of his gun at the back of my head. The storm trooper pulled my hair back so my head would be forced back against his shoulder.

                “You are going to go, in two days’ time,” he said. “Or so help me, little miss. I will hunt you down myself.” The storm trooper let go of me as a small crowd began to gather behind us.

I bowed my head, picking up the sandwich from my lunch bag. “Thank you for letting me know my time,” I said through gritted teeth. “I will be there and ready to perform my citizen’s duty.”

Both Storm Troopers smiled at my response and I felt the back of my neck begin to burn again. They began to walk away and I glared at my sandwich, squeezing the tomato from in between the slices of wheat bread.

A young girl walked by with her mother, heading towards the dishwashing station to drop off their plates.

              “Mommy, mommy! That girl’s neck is on fire!”

              “I’m sure it is, Jezebel. Keep walking.”

I placed my hand over the nape of my neck, and cursed under my breath. If someone else saw who wasn’t four years old there would be questions. I glanced around nervously, ignoring the shaking of my hands. Digging through my messenger bag, I grasped the fabric of a scarf my mother had given me for the winter season. The gray wool was thick, and would hide the now burning embers that was my skin.

The bell rang in the distance, sounding the end of lunch and I rose from my spot. I didn’t know how much trouble I was in, but I knew that as I began my shift of scrubbing dirty dishes my neck continued to burn.

 

                                                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Luckily, the wool scarf kept together long enough for me to complete my shift without any other trouble, and I walked home. I didn’t run into Cassian, which helped. I couldn’t face him again.

I was forced to travel the long way home, if I wanted to avoid the larger crowds of the forum. The route I chose was silent, and passed by the Amphitheater, which was only used by school groups during the day.

Groups of Storm Troopers passed by me on patrol, walking towards the Pantheon. I bowed my head low, and began to sweat thinking of what would happen if my hand caught on fire.

One storm trooper stopped me, holding up his hand. My hand stroked the grip of my gun that lay covered by leftover food from lunch. The storm trooper didn’t look very old, and the medals on his uniform suggested that he was a new recruit to the area.

The heat on my neck began to flare up. Sweat ran down the side of my cheek as I felt his eyes examine my posture. He noticed the red mark on the side of my face but didn’t say a word.

               “Why are you over here?” the storm trooper asked after a long pause.

               “I’m walking home,” I replied, my eyes downcast.

The storm trooper cocked his head, and looked toward my bag. My hand began to squeeze the grip of the gun and I readied myself to pull the trigger. The storm trooper pulled out his government issued pistol, which was more complex than mine, and pointed it at my forehead, until another storm trooper spoke up.

               “Rookie, don’t bother. She’s just a girl heading home.”

               “She’s suspicious, sir.”

               “Let the girl go, and quit jumping at shadows!”

The older storm trooper motioned for me to pass and as I relaxed for the first time that evening, my heartbeat slowed and I felt the skin on my neck cool.

Once the group of Storm Troopers were out of sight, I ran the rest of the way home. I had to figure out what was wrong with me or I was going to be arrested the moment I walked into the Pantheon.

When I entered the house, my mother sat on the couch sipping a can of light beer. I set my bag down and collapsed against the wall. My mother rose from her seat, horror stretching across her face.

                “What happened to you?” she asked. “Why do you have a bruise on your cheek?”

                I sighed, sucking a sob back down my throat. I sniffled before turning back to her. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I answered, my voice shaking.

My mother fell to my feet, a cool hand cupping my face gently a second later. I threw my arms around her, letting the sob that threatened to erupt from my throat out. My mother brushed my hair back with her hands, shushing me.

                “I thought they hurt you,” I said, meeting her gaze.

                “I’m fine honey, I swear,” my mother said. “I was told that you wouldn’t be part of the experiment group. I don’t know why I had to spend the whole day in an office to hear that, but I stayed anyway. I’m so sorry.”

My mind instantly went to the Storm Troopers that confronted me at lunch. Could their directions be a lie, or the truth? Who was I supposed to believe: my mother or the government?


	5. The Infamous Kylo Ren

The night passed quickly as I lay in my bed. I didn’t even notice the sun had risen above the clouds until a golden beam found itself an opening through a crack in the ceiling. The gilded sunray cut across the room, dancing across my fingers before moving upwards towards my forehead.

Bored, I rose from my bed and walked into the next room. The tablet by the door blinked as a message flew by on the screen. It was my supervisor, telling me to stay home. My guess was that he had heard that my name had been drawn, and he was already preparing to find a new worker to fill my shift. The information only made the instructions my mother received confusing. Why would the government try to hide something from her?

The house was quiet, telling me my mother had already left early for work. My hands tingled, begging my body to allow me to do something so I stood in the kitchen, washing the few dishes we had. Afterwards, I went around the house, picking up leftover beer cans. The sickeningly sweet alcohol in the cans was attracting bugs, and we couldn’t afford to hire anyone to exterminate the pests.

The flies were innocent anyway. Just small, tiny beings forced to live off the only food and shelter they could find. I imagined being like them, scouring the overlooked areas of the province, fighting for survival. Flies never lived all too long, and often were deprived of their own existence by the very things that provided their means of living.

I finished cleaning the dishes and cleared my mind, looking back towards the woods behind the house. Mysterious and dark, I was obsessed with them as a child. I pictured escaping into the night by myself, running away to a different province and finding a new source of income and life.

My mind inched itself into the idea of sneaking across the province border to shoot bullets as I had done numerous times before. I could get away with it because Storm Troopers were never assigned to border patrol very deep in my sector, which made me lucky. The punishment for sneaking across the province border was violent and painful.

In the main part of my province, the Storm Troopers called it “pronging”. It was designed after an old-world method, but the victim would be forced to sit in the town-square while wearing a metal collar with two metal forks protruding from both sides. One end was pushed up underneath the throat and the other was over the chest. The victim would then be forced to sit for hours, or even days without dropping their head, otherwise the prongs would pierce their skin and cut through the carotid artery. The Supreme Leader never had anyone killed for the offense of sneaking from a province, but people were still afraid to leave.

Carefully shutting the back door, I moved slowly towards the edge of the woods before diving into the brush. Ducking underneath a tall branch, I moved slowly past a log infested with poison oak. I stepped onto the path I had cleared, and closed my eyes. The woods had a calming ambiance that I desired for weeks. The trees moved silently through the wind, and didn’t say a word as I pulled my pistol from the hiding place in the back of my pants.

My pistol wasn’t fancy or clunky, which made it easier to carry. The trigger was smooth from years of usage, with flecks of the silvery metal peeling off across the butt of the gun. Shooting at the portrait in the woods made me feel like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

I came to the clearing where I had set up my target. I dusted off the bullseye on the Supreme Leader’s forehead and walked back towards the marked tree. My eyes closed in on my target, and I aimed. The portrait was decorated with bullet holes, with shards of broken glass hanging from the rusted metal frame. The crystal reflected like a mirror in the sunlight, and the trees behind me morphed into different shapes and figures. I stepped closer, looking into the broken crystal that still stuck to the washed-out picture, and I saw a figure move behind me.

Quick to react, I caught my attacker off guard as I turned and aimed my pistol at his forehead, cocking the gun. The stranger held his hands up in surrender, and gave me a sly grin.

He wore a hood over his head, just like the stranger at the market, and the person who had attacked me outside of the house two days earlier. My theory was confirmed when I saw the bullet hole in the cotton fabric of his jacket. I couldn’t see part of his face, but he smiled at me, and I recognized the gleam of his teeth.

              “Hello Reyna,” he said.

              “Who are you?” I demanded. “First, you give me money at the market after you bump into me, then you attack me outside my house-” 

              “I didn’t attack you,” the stranger said. “I fell from the tree when you pointed that pistol at me. Honestly Reyna, you shouldn’t be angry at me. I’m only trying to help you.”

              “Help me? I don’t even know you!” I cried.

              “There isn’t a reason you can’t. It’s not like there is anyone else for you to talk to these days besides your drunkard mother and farm-fresh boyfriend.”

              I shot a warning bullet in the air, and glared at him. “First, he’s not boyfriend!” I shouted. “Secondly, I don’t know why you think it is a good idea to follow me around! Leave me the hell alone or I’ll shoot you again!”

The stranger didn’t listen to me, or my speech. Instead, a grimace came across his face and he grabbed my arm, disarming me. He covered my mouth with his hand and hid my pistol in his jacket.

             “You had to fire off a warning shot, didn’t you? Now the Storm Troopers know where you are!”

I struggled against his grip for a moment before deciding he was right. I had to get out of there. I bit down onto his hand, digging my teeth into his flesh. The stranger cried out in surprise, and I ran from the woods, heading back towards the house.

I scanned ahead into the tree brush, making sure there were no white uniforms close to the entrance at the back of my house. I was upset I left my pistol behind, but I wasn’t going to stay there and let him kidnap me. I had no idea what he intended to do with me. If I didn’t show up at the Pantheon for the experiment, who knows what the government would do to my mother?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I locked the doors and windows in the house before grabbing a chopping knife from the kitchen. As I held the blade in my hand, I knew it was useless. Whoever the stranger was, he knew my name, and he would be able to grab me from inside the house. 

I ran into my room, throwing aside anything that stood in the way of the hidden money box. I needed a gun. It would be easy to buy a new pistol to protect myself. Most in Bellona couldn’t own a gun. The taxes the Supreme Leader placed on weapons were expensive, that’s why I never reported ownership of my pistol. Food was too important.

I watched the woods around the house before I left, keeping the cutting knife in my messenger bag just in case my attacker decided to ambush me. Most guns that were sold in Bellona to “dirty bloods” were distributed in a black-market area of the forum. The Storm Troopers in the area were paid to look the other way, but if a supervisor happened to come by, they were more likely to turn on the people who paid them.

I made it to the forum without problem, and walked through the heavy crowds. I could blend in easily with the muted colored clothes of the beggars and the tattered clothed booth owners. The clock rang in the distance, and my stomach rumbled. I hadn’t realized it was lunchtime, but food was the farthest from my mind.

Heading into the second section of the forum, the crowd thinned out. Those who didn’t have a keycard couldn’t go into the second section, but luckily the one I was given at my dishwashing job would allow me into the black-market area I needed to go. I trudged uphill to the weapon’s booth, ignoring the stares of a pure family that laughed as I stumbled on the cobblestone road.

The first weapons booth I came to was covered by a blood red tent, and was guarded by two Storm Troopers. As I approached they moved beside me, cocking their guns.

             “Good afternoon, young lady,” the owner of the booth said. “What can I do for you?”

             “I would like to buy the newest model of a semi-automatic pistol,” I said, taking a wary glance at one of the guards.

The owner of the booth frowned and brought a notebook out from under the counter of his stand. The Storm Troopers standing beside me shifted their weight as the vendor flipped through the notebook, showing me a picture of the gun and I nodded.

             “Yes, that is the one I would like,” I said.

             “I’m sorry ma'am. That gun is only available to Storm Troopers and other government officials. Unless I see credentials stating otherwise, I cannot sell you this pistol.”

             I frowned. “Can you sell me a different semi-automatic pistol for 35 credits? Please, I’m desperate!”

The vendor shrugged and pulled out a silver case, locked on both sides. He opened the case, revealing the most beautiful gun I had ever laid eyes on. The barrel was a sleek, dark gray. When I looked into the metal my royal blue eyes reflected back into my gaze. I smiled and brought the correct amount of money from my messenger bag.

The vendor lay a pamphlet down in front of me, blocking my view of the pistol.

             “What’s this? I have the money; can’t I just buy it?”

             The vendor looked towards a supervisor, who passed by the booth. He stopped to look at me and the man running the booth. The vendor cleared his throat. “I’m afraid you have to register for the taxes ma’am. Your age please?”

             “Eighteen,” I said.

             The vendor frowned and locked back the pistol case. “I’m sorry, the Supreme Leader has made new regulations regarding age. Due to an influx of tax evasion, the Supreme Leader has temporarily banned the selling of weapons to anyone below the age of 21.”

             “That’s ridiculous!” I cried. “This is discrimination against the people of Bellona!”

The vendor stood back in surprise as the two Storm Troopers who stood beside me stepped forward. One brought out a Taser and the other handcuffs.

            “Don’t cause any trouble,” one of the Storm Troopers said.

I glared at them, clenching my fists. I felt my neck heat up and my flames on my fingers prickled to life. My head was going to explode out of anger when I felt a hand on my shoulder. A needle poked my neck and the burning stopped. My muscles relaxed and everything felt limp, including my tongue.

            “I’m so sorry,” a calm voice said. “Please forgive my sister, she hasn’t been sleeping well for the past few days and hasn’t been taking the medicine to keep control of her hallucinations.”

I turned my head, seeing the stranger that had approached me in the forest. As my vision began to spin out of control the only thing I could make out was the hood of his jacket, which had been removed. Any other features he had registered as a blur in my eyes.

           “Mother and Father have been looking all over for you!” he cried. The stranger turned and waved to a middle-aged couple who walked towards the dining area. “Papa! Wait for us, and I shall bring Mother the fruit she requested!”

The Storm Troopers looked at each other for a moment and replaced their weapons. One stepped forward, giving the stranger a pink citation slip.

           “Don’t let her act out like that in public again, or dear old sissy poo might be put on public display.”

The stranger smiled at the storm trooper and led me away from the crowds. I tried to shout and scream, but my mouth was numb. I tried to lift my arms to push him away, but failed.

The stranger led me back to the path where my neighborhood sector stood and placed my pistol in my messenger bag. I looked at him. He didn’t seem like he wanted to hurt me, but there was something odd about him that I couldn’t place.

           “You should be coming out of that daze any second now,” he said. “I thought you were smarter than that, Reyna! You know better than to break out in hysterics against the Storm Troopers. You’re lucky they didn’t fine you!”

           I moved my jaw, feeling the freedom to talk again, and I frowned. “I still don’t know who you are and yet, you saved me from being arrested?”

The stranger shrugged and my vision cleared enough so that I could see what he looked like. His eyes were bright red like embers in a fire. I had never seen anything so mysterious before. His chin was smudged with ash, along with a few streaks on his cheeks and neck. His long black hair curled slightly in the wind and I had an aberrant urge to reach up and run my fingers across through the raven colored strands. His eyes glowed as he noticed me examining him, and I noticed how short I was compared to him. I couldn’t tell how old he was, but he looked at least twenty-one. 

           “See something you like?” he teased.

I shook my head, breaking myself from the trance I was in. With anger boiling up inside me, I broke myself free from my trance and slapped him, twice.

           “That’s for attacking me outside my house, and for stealing my pistol,” I said.

           The stranger pressed a hand to his agitated cheek and groaned. “Okay, we’ve already gone over this Reyna-”

           “Rey,” I interjected.

           The stranger rolled his eyes, and pushed some of his dark hair aside. “ _Rey_ , I already told you that I didn’t attack you. I was only trying to help you, but you didn’t give me a chance in either occasion. You should be happy to have me around, otherwise you would be in the sector prison right now with the drunks and murderers.”

I crossed my arms, and looked away from him. I didn’t need help. I could have lasted a night in jail. The prison didn’t seem menacing, but I had heard plenty of stories about the inside.

          “I don’t need help. I can solve my own problems,” I said. “I’ve been on my own for quite a while now.”

The stranger looked skeptical at my response and motioned for me to follow him. He stopped at the top of the hill, overlooking my sector and I gasped.

          “You think you can handle that?”

Storm Troopers walked past my house, pointing guns at my neighbors and even threatening to shoot a little boy who lived across the street from me. One pushed a woman to the ground while another blocked her children from running to their mother for comfort, safety.

          “What’s going on?” I cried. “What happened?”

          “The Storm Troopers heard that warning shot you fired off this morning. Turns out the bullet shot down a top-secret government drone, and now they don’t know where it landed.”

          “And somehow that’s my fault?” I said.

          The stranger rolled his eyes, starting to become impatient. “Rey, my point is, they are going to figure out it is you! They will arrest you for shooting down a government aircraft. Admit it. You know I’m right.”

          “Why do you have to be so infuriating?” The stranger only smiled in response and I crossed my arms. “Fine,” I muttered. “Help me, oh Wise One, since I have no other choice.”

          The stranger ignored my comment and held out his hand. “Give me your pistol.”

I raised an eyebrow, but he stood there ignoring my attitude, and continued to hold out his hand. I brought the pistol from my bag and placed it in his hand. The stranger took a step back and fired off another bullet into the air.

          “How the hell is _that_ going to help me?” I screamed.

The stranger didn’t listen to me. Taking a small step backwards, he threw the gun into the river. I felt my eyes tear up as I saw it float away, and I grabbed the collar of his jacket.

          “How could you throw away my gun? That was the only gun I had!”

The stranger grabbed my hand, and gave it a squeeze. My muscles obeyed him and I released the collar of his jacket. His skin felt warm, but the texture felt almost like scales on a fish. The heat on my neck began to present itself again, but it stopped when a storm trooper appeared beside us.

          “Did you two hear a gunshot?”

          The stranger nodded. “Thank goodness you are here officer! A strange man came running from the forest and pointed a gun at me and my girlfriend!” The stranger laced his fingers through mine and kissed my right temple. A fire erupted in my chest and I plastered a fake smile on my face, ignoring the abnormal beat of my heart.

           “Which way did he go?” the storm trooper asked, narrowing his eyes.

           “That way!” the stranger said, pointing towards the river.

The storm trooper motioned for his counterparts and a mob began moving down the bank of the river. More Storm Troopers shouted to each other and ran past us. The stranger, keeping his facade, led me by hand to my house and closed the door behind us.

            I pushed him away, wiping the skin of my temple on my shirt sleeve. “Did you really have to say I was your girlfriend? I barely know you!”

           “I didn’t think he would believe anything else.”

           “You could have just said I was your sister.”

The stranger rolled his eyes and reached into his jacket, handing me a brand new semi-automatic pistol with a detachable silencer. I gaped as I took the gun in my hands, the smooth metal running across my fingers.

           “How did you get the money for this? Are you a storm trooper? Are you rich?”

          The stranger scoffed. “No, I stole it.”

I snorted and offered him a thankful smile. A blush appeared on the side of his cheeks and I tucked the gun safely into the back of my pants.

           “You lied twice for me,” I said. “Why?”

           “Because,” the stranger said, walking to the door. “I’m your friend.”

The stranger bolted from my sight, and disappeared into the brush behind my house. I remained standing where he left me.

A friend? This stranger knew my name, my schedule, and my address. He also knew where I would be going today after I met him in the woods. How could he have found me so fast? There was only one possible way any of the events could have happened. I had befriended public enemy number one: Bellona’s thief, _Kylo Ren_.


	6. Life is Beautiful

My stomach rumbled as I blinked my eyes awake. I barely remembered the night before, but the gun that lay beside me was _very_ real. I had met Kylo Ren, and he had helped me escape persecution. What was he even doing in the province anyway?

My stomach rumbled again, and a painful cramp moved across my chest. I peeked my head from the room, the top of my mother’s head absent from the couch. I ventured out into the kitchen, and dug through the cabinets of the pantry. There was nothing left but crumbs of a bread roll and a sip of cold soup.

I sighed. There wasn’t any money left. I used what I had at the forum to pay for a new gun, but I left the cash behind at the booth. I doubted that the owner would pay me back, or would even allow me to approach the booth again.

My stomach rumbled again, and I winced as the cramping became agonizing. I stumbled towards the front door, tucking my new pistol into the back of my pants as I hobbled out into the street. As the door creaked closed behind me, the sound of footsteps approaching me caused my frayed nerves to activate. My fist flew, and I punched Cassian in the jaw, knocking him down into the mud.

                “Oh! Cassian, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know it was you!” I cried, helping him from the ground.

                “You sure gotta a nice left-hook Rey ,” Cassian said, rubbing his chin. “I hope you won’t use that when we’re married.”

                “Uh, right,” I stuttered. “About that Cassian-”

                “Don’t say anything,” Cassian said, giving me a smile. “I know you still need time, unless you are going to tell me yes right now?”

                “Actually I was going to find something to eat. There isn’t anything in the house.”

                “I don’t know if you’ll be able to make it into the market today,” Cassian said, rubbing the back of his neck. “There’s a family throwing a festival for the pure bloods today. I think they’ve closed the market down for a few hours to outsiders.”

My stomach gurgled at the words, and I looked away, embarrassed to be standing with him.

                “Why don’t you come with me?” Cassian asked. “My mother poached some eggs this morning, and we just bought a fresh loaf of bread from the baker across the street. She won’t mind having you over. You’re practically family.”

                I pondered the idea for a moment, my gurgling stomach turning about the idea of food. “Fine. I’ll come with you,” I said. “But I don’t need your charity!”

                Cassian held up his hands in defense before offering me his arm. “Believe me,” he said. “Charity is the farthest thing from my mind.”

I had only been inside Cassian’s house once, and I was much younger. My mother had to go off to work and Cassian’s mother offered to watch me for the day as she was still at home taking care of Cassian’s younger sister, Virginia. From what I remembered about the house, was that the smells that drifted from the oven and kitchen into the living room were heavenly. Everything smelled like lemon soap and honeydew melon.

Cassian’s mother was completely the opposite of my own. Her caramel curls were just starting to grey, with smile wrinkles hiding underneath her warm hazel eyes. She did most of the cooking for the booth her husband and son ran, but she had to start training Cassian because of her arthritis.

Cassian pushed open the door to his house, and lead me over to a soft peach colored chair that had a quilt draped over the back.

                “I’ll go find us some plates,” Cassian said. “Be back in a minute.”

Once he left the room I stood up from the chair I sat in. My clothes were dirty with stains from being thrown into the mud outside my house. The fabric of the chair felt so soft; I couldn’t ruin it.

Cassian came back into the room and handed me a glass filled with juice, most likely squeezed from the fruit he and his father grew.

                “Sit,” Cassian chided, compelling me to retake my seat. “My mother is making our plates.”

                “Thank you, I guess,” I said. “You didn’t have to offer me anything.”

                “Rey, I’ve known you for a long time,” Cassian said with a small grin. “I’m just trying to look out for you. I know you would do the same for me if I was in your situation.”

                 I bowed my head. “Cassian, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but, my name has been drawn. I have to go to the Pantheon tomorrow for Order 66 testing.”

                “W-what?” Cassian stuttered, the smile disappearing from his face. “I thought they weren’t going to do another drawing until next month.”

                “My file was chosen, but then the information ended up getting stolen. It was put on hold until they recovered the names,” I said. “I don’t like it either. Something about it seems wrong, but it will pay my mother good money if _something_ does happen.”

                 Cassian set down his glass, and put his head in his hands. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “It isn’t fair.”

                “It’s okay,” I said, touching his arm. “I mean, what could go wrong? I’ve heard rumors of the simian flu becoming prominent again the First Province. Perhaps they just need a test subject for an antidote?”

                Cassian met my gaze, tears in his eyes. “Have you not heard the other rumors?” he asked. “The Supreme Leader is furious! There was an entire sector in a southern province that was harboring Jedi. Some say he’s having people in the experimental labs submit a mandatory blood test just to make sure they are normal.”

                “Then there is nothing to worry about for me,” I said. “I’m completely normal! I may be thin, and a little grumpy at times, but I’m a regular human. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Cassian gave me a small smile, and my lips curled up offering him one in return. I had never felt the urge to kiss anyone, especially Cassian, but my heart burst as I leaned forward and tentatively met his lips.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and the front window shattered causing pieces of glass to fly into the room. I screamed and pulled away, taking out my gun, firing a bullet into the shoulder of a storm trooper dressed in white.

                “Stop her!” one shouted. “She has a gun!”

A larger soldier ran forward, and tackled me to the ground, flipping my body over and wrenching handcuffs onto my wrists. My shoulder cracked, and I cried out in pain. It was dislocated.

                “Leave her alone!” Cassian shouted, trying to push past another storm trooper. “She didn’t do anything wrong!”

                “Rey Kenobi, you are under arrest for corruption, fraud, thievery, and imitating government currency,” the storm trooper hissed in my ear. “You are hereby arrested in the name of his majesty, and must await your verdict in the province lockup.”

                “No!” I screamed, struggling against their hard grip. “Please! My mother...she needs me!” 

The Storm Troopers lead me out into the street, keeping Cassian inside his house, away from me. Others in my sector peered out their windows and doors, bowing their heads in silent commiseration. They knew what was happening, for everyone had seen it numerous times before.

                “Rey!” Cassian screamed. “No, Rey!”

I bowed my head, allowing the tears to flow down my cheeks as I was tossed into the back of a large white government vehicle. A storm trooper in the back handcuffed me to a thick steel bar, and kept a gun trained on my head.

My vision was dizzy, and I looked back towards the street, seeing Cassian run out, reaching out towards the already moving truck. A darkened figure stood behind him, in the shadow of my house, the only thing I recognized was the dark hood over his face.

He stood silently, shifting on his feet. His expression was unreadable until he disappeared into the shadows, leaving me completely alone.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The jail was just as I expected on the inside; dirty. As I was led through the long hallway the drunkards called out, offering me a good time with them in their cell. Wrinkled and gnarled hands touched my arms and legs, pulling on my clothes.

The storm trooper that escorted me through the hallway tossed me into an empty cell at the end of the hall and I pressed my head in-between my legs as they walked away. My shoulder burned and stung with pain. I didn’t think I would be able to pop the joint back into its original position myself, something felt wrong.

I moved to the back of my cell, out of the light, and looked precariously at my surroundings. Rotten fruit and molded bread lay in a corner where a few rats feasted greedily upon the remains. The door at the end of the hallway reopened, and the voices of the other prisoners began to shout again as the newest arrival was thrown into the cell beside me. I knew why they were put at the end of the block. These cells were always empty during the day because they held the prisoners that were headed to execution the next morning.

A storm trooper walked towards my cell as a woman approached. Her hair was curly, and was tinted a light blue with subtle makeup that made her look pale and transparent. She was thin and tall, and wore a white lab coat with a collar that was pushed up to her chin. She looked like an angel of death without her wings.

                “Prisoner 4567-3675890,” the woman spoke in a soft voice. “I am Doctor Asaji Ventress. I oversee the Order 66 held at the Pantheon in your province. I was told an hour ago and made a personal trip here to see you myself.”

                “Why?” I asked.

                “To receive a sample from you of course,” the doctor said. “The Supreme Leader has made it my top priority.”

The woman motioned for a storm trooper to bring forward a sleek white briefcase. Inside were dozens of needles, filled with a silvery liquid, and one with a fiery red encased inside the chamber.

                “Why would the Supreme Leader care about me?” I asked. “I’m a nobody.”

                “We’ll see about that,” the doctor said. “Now, I was told about the chargers pressed against you, and I must say, they are pretty hefty for a girl your age. Such a shame to be executed at eighteen.”

                “I don’t care what you think,” I said. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

                “I understand that dear,” the pale woman cooed. “The Supreme Leader in his greatness has decided to grant you mercy if you tell me something.”

                “What do you mean?” I asked.

                Asaji Ventress brought a needle from her briefcase, examining the liquid inside before turning back towards me. “The money you used to try and buy a gun with,” the woman said. “It was counterfeit. The Supreme Leader recognized the paper and ink as those used by an infamous criminal. He wants to know if you had any idea where this criminal is.”

                “What are you talking about?” I asked, my blood chilled from her tone.

                The doctor gave me a smile before reaching out for my arm. “I don’t need to tell you that, do I?” she asked. “You already know. Perhaps your mother knows as well? I could always ask her myself, but I cannot promise that I will be forgiving if she gives me a wrong answer.”

                I shook with anger as I held out my arm. “I don’t know where he is,” I lied. “I haven’t seen him.”

                “So he did give you the money?” the doctor asked, pricking my skin with the needle.

                “Yes,” I answered, averting my eyes. “I didn’t know he was a criminal. He was just a kind stranger. I ran into him in the market, which caused some of the food I had bought to fall onto the ground. He gave me money to make up for the damage.”

The doctor nodded, saying nothing as she pulled the needle from my skin. Taking the needle with the red liquid, I held my breath as she injected the next substance into my skin. It burned and stung and caused my skin to glow a deep red. I yanked my arm away, hissing with pain as my injured shoulder bumped against the wall.

The doctor rose from her spot on the floor, and whispered into the storm trooper’s ear that stood by my cell. She turned back to face me, clutching the briefcase in her hands.

                “Thank you for your cooperation Ms. Kenobi,” she said. “Your mother shall receive a small earning from this procedure, but I cannot make any promises that she will be able to use the money for long.” The doctor turned and began walking away. “She will be interrogated heavily.”

                “No!” I shouted after her. “You can’t! She’s innocent! Please!”

The door slammed shut behind her and I collapsed backwards in my cell. My neck tingled with heat, and the feeling traveled to my injured shoulder. A flame flickered to life on my fingertips, and I tried to blow it out, hiding the smoke with my other arm.

Movement came from the cell beside me and a pair of hands wrapped around the bars that connected our areas. An apple appeared in one of the hands, and it rolled onto the floor in front of my feet.

                “I was trying to find you this morning,” a familiar voice said. “I didn’t realize you were being arrested until I heard the shouting outside.”

                 My mouth formed in a thin line, and I clenched my fists. “What the hell are you doing in here?” I asked.

                “Simple,” Kylo Ren said, leaning forward, meeting my gaze. “I stole a bag of apples heading for the palace and I was sent here. The Storm Troopers recognized the tattoo of my helm. Looks like I have the same fate as you do.”

                “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” I hissed. “Thanks to you and that counterfeit money you gave me, my mother is going to suffer and I am going to die!”

                “Believe me,” Kylo Ren said. “If I knew that money was counterfeit, I wouldn’t have given it to you. I would have known you would have been arrested.”

                “How could you not know it was counterfeit?” I asked. “You're a thief and you couldn’t tell the difference between real and fake money?”

                “Whoever had the fake money made, paid a lot for it. Don’t ask me anything else about it. Ask the Supreme Leader. I stole the money from his vault.”

                I sighed and turned away from his gaze. “Okay, fine. You didn’t purposely give me counterfeit money. You’re still going to die,” I said, bowing my head. “Why would you be so stupid and do something that you knew would get you caught?”

                “Because, I’m your friend,” Kylo Ren said. “At least I’m trying to be. Now we don’t have much time so you _have to_ listen to me. Okay?”

I looked down at the apple, picking up the shiny orb. It gleamed red in the darkness, almost like a beacon. It felt smooth like a pebble, and my stomach rumbled at the sweet smell of the fruit.

                “Where did you get this?” I asked. “I doubt the guards would have given it to you.”

                “I stole it from the cart, remember?” Kylo Ren asked.

                “Why are you giving it to me?” I asked.

                “Some people are worth stealing for,” Kylo Ren answered, keeping my gaze. “Eat. I’ll tell you everything you need to know. I’m not going to let you die.”

                “You’re too late,” I said. “I can’t break out now. If I’m gone by the morning when they come to get me, my mother won’t get the money.”

                “Didn’t you hear what that Doctor said?” Kylo Ren asked. “They’re going to hurt her! Let me help you so you can help her! Rey, they aren’t going to leave the people you love alone after you’re gone. They will only suffer more.”

                “Gee, thanks for the reassurance,” I mumbled.

                “Listen, they’ll come for me first. The Supreme Leader hates me more. When they do, you need to start complaining of a deep pain in your stomach. That’s one of the symptoms of the Simian Flu. They will assume you've caught it and let you out so you can vomit. When they do, you need to do whatever you can to disarm the guards and take their weapons. Put on one of their uniforms and sneak out to the square where I will be executed. Once you get there, make a run for it and head back to your house. Find your mother and anyone else you care about. Run to the border, don’t take too much with you. Once you are at the border I-”

                “Stop, stop!” I cried, covering my ears. “I can’t do that.”

                “Yes, you can,” Kylo Ren said. “ _You have to. You don’t have a choice._ ”

                “Oh, I have a choice!” I snapped. “You cannot tell me what I can and can’t do. If I have to die...so be it.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The crowds were silent as I was lead out, and handcuffed to the steel bars on the ground. The executioner waited as the province overseer gave his daily speech about loyalty to the crown. I remained silent bowing my head.

 _“Pay the ultimate price for rebellion,”_ his voice said, echoing through the square. “ _The Supreme Leader’s word is absolute, there is no higher power. His word is law.”_

The Province Overseer turned to me and motioned for the executioner to step forward. I ignored the sharpening of his ax, the grin on his face.

My eyes fell upon the frightened expression of Cassian, who stood still, tears in his eyes. I met his gaze and I gave him a forced smile.

                “Take care of her, please,” I mouthed, my voice void of any sound.

Cassian nodded, shaking his head sporadically.

My attention was torn away as the cry of a bird filled my ears. The rising sun spread across its wings like fire, and I smiled. _Life is beautiful._

I continued to smile until the sharpness of metal touched my neck, and the breath was whisked from my throat. I was dead.

Some describe death like it is slipping into a dream. Everything in that dream feels and looks bright, until a sense of peace comes over you, and your soul is uplifted into the clouds. Others say death is like sinking into a cold pool of water, no comfort, no joy. There’s no excitement, no struggle or awareness about what is going on. You just slip away. You are falling into a bottomless pit, the sound of painful shrieks that get louder and louder until everything falls silent, and you are gone.

My death wasn’t like that. It was like getting submerged into a pit of lava. As the fire came over my body, my flesh peeled and smoldered. Agony filled me, but no relief came until my entire existence slipped away, and nothing was left but ash.

_Then I came back._


	7. A Jedi is Born

             “Rey,” I heard a distant voice say, pulling me from my endless sleep. “Rey ?” 

The voice rang in my ears and I groaned as my eyes opened. I felt as if I were in a large crowd for a few moments, until my vision began to clear of the fuzz that had been building. I could barely recognize the shadowed figure hovering over me, but Kylo Ren’s voice pulled me from my daydream. 

            “You are _very_ stubborn,” he said, hovering over me.

I didn’t answer as I tried to move, looking around the area where I lay. Daises and wildflowers grew in the clearing of the forest around me, billowing in the wind. I shuddered, wiggling my fingers and toes remembering what had just happened. 

            “Am I dead?” I asked, my voice sounding weak to my own ears. My throat felt empty like a metal pipe. 

            “No, you’re alive,” Kylo Ren replied, helping me from the ground. 

As I began to move, a human-like shape formed around me in piles of ash and cinders. The charred wood from the trees smoldered with a few remaining embers. The dried grass I had been lain on had been reduced to nothing but curled black crisps that crumbled underneath my fingers. The clothes I wore were reduced charred fabric with multiple holes, however, nothing had completely burned off. My hair had been singed a tiny bit, but I found I hadn’t lost any important strands. 

I opened my mouth to speak when I lost any ability to breathe. My muscles froze and I couldn’t move. My heart felt as if it was going to burst from my chest as my hands went around my neck. My hands started to shake involuntarily as my eyes widened. I wanted to run away, to curl up in a ball and cry. I wanted to die.

            “Rey, calm down!” Kylo Ren cried, taking my hands, pulling me to his chest. “Breathe, it’s okay. You’re safe. It’s a side effect of the trauma.” 

My head spun as I put my head in between my legs. I tried to take in two deep breaths before a wave of nausea overtook me. I felt Kylo Ren’s hand on my back as I started to vomit. I wanted to push him away, but the warmth that came from his skin helped. I wiped my mouth on what remained of my shirt sleeve, wincing as I met Kylo Ren’s eyes.

           “What happened?” I asked. “All I remember is Cassian. He looked so sad....” Kylo Ren glanced around nervously before reaching into his jacket and offering me my pistol. “How did you get this?” I asked, my vision stabilizing. “The Storm Trooperss took it away from me when I was arrested.”

          “I’m a thief!” Kylo Ren exclaimed. “If I can’t take a simple gun away from a few Storm Troopers guards then something is seriously wrong with me.”ried

          “Where are we?” I asked, looking around. “This isn’t my sector. I don’t recognize—”

          “We aren’t in the Province of Jakku anymore if that’s what you’re asking me,” Kylo Ren said, standing up from his place on the ground. He offered me his hand, gently pulling me up. 

          “I promise you I will explain everything later. For now, it’s best we keep moving.” 

Kylo Ren kept hold of my hand as we moved into the brush. I stumbled, my legs feeling as if they had the consistency of gelatin. Deeper into the brush, I rested for a moment, catching my wary breath.

         “Where are we going?” I asked.

        “Somewhere to keep you safe,” Kylo Ren answered pulling aside the thick brush around us to uncover a motorcycle. 

He climbed onto the seat, and motioned for me to join him, patting a spot on the leather behind him. Kylo Ren brought a canteen of water from his jacket and offered it to me as I hesitantly sat down. 

        “Here, drink this. Your lungs haven’t filled with ash, yet have they?” 

        “Ash? I don’t understand,” I said, taking the canteen. 

The cool water touched my lips and the dryness of my throat disappeared. I wrapped my arms instinctively around Kylo Ren’s waist, leaning backwards as he kick-started the motorcycle.

       “Can you at least tell me about the place you are taking me?” I tried to ask over the roaring wind. 

       “You need to answer some questions for me first,” Kylo Ren said. “I need you to tell me, what did you feel when you died?” 

       “Nothing but heat,” I said. “I felt like my entire body was on fire. I couldn’t have been dead though, could I? It was just a dream, right? I wasn’t really executed?”

       “No,” Kylo Ren answered. “You were dead. You just didn’t stay dead. You came back.” 

       “How is that possible? It goes against all logic—”

       “It isn’t logical, but it’s true,” Kylo Ren interrupted me. “I was lucky I got to you when I did, otherwise you would be in a government experiment lab right about now. You burst into flames only a few moments after you were pronounced dead and taken out of the square.” 

       “Flames?” I asked. “That doesn’t make sense!”

       “It does if you are Jedi,” Kylo Ren said, driving the motorcycle out of the road and onto a small trail. 

He helped me from the back of the bike and leaned it against the rough wall of a cave. The rock seemed igneous, and when I touched it I felt the heat it once contained as boiling lava radiating off my fingers. 

      “I can’t be Jedi!” I protested, pulling my hand back. “I would have shown more signs when I was younger! That’s what everyone says––”

      “That’s the thing,” Kylo Ren said, turning to me. “The government isn’t good at picking a Jedi out of a crowd. They never have been, that’s why they test the blood.”

      “So, the testing fot Order 66 is a cover? They aren’t trying to cure the plague, or continue clean bloodlines?”

      “It's all fake,” Kylo Ren said. “It’s all a ruse. They use the blood to see if the subject passed the gene onto their offspring, or if they have it themselves. Very sophisticated, very clever, and very useful.”

My mind went to my mother, and how she would react to the news that I had been killed. She would never put the bottle down once the Storm Trooperss went to visit her, along with that crazy doctor. 

      “What does fire have to do with being Jedi?” I asked, staring ahead. 

      Kylo Ren put a hand on my shoulder, and began leading me down the cavern. “Have you ever heard of a phoenix?”

      I nodded. “What does that have to do with me?” 

      “Jedi,” Kylo Ren said, “Can burn into ashes whenever they are hurt, and rise again fully healed.” 

      “Wait, so you are telling me I can produce fire, _and_ heal myself? That as a Jedi, I can do that?”

      “Yes,” Kylo Ren said. “When your DNA was produced, it created an extra strand which would give you the ability to create combustion like sequences on your skin. Your body would use energy from food as fuel for the fire, and the oxygen you breathe to keep it burning.”

      “That’s why I’ve been feeling heat on my neck? I was _burning_ and _creating flames_?” 

      “Bingo!” Kylo Ren trilled. “Why do you think the capitol is so adament about my capture? Sure, I've stolen from them numerous times, but I also have a tendancy to set fire to the first floor most of the time when I visit the palace.” 

      “You are Jedi too?” I asked. 

Kylo Ren nodded, and gave me a smile. His red eyes danced in the cave’s darkness and a flame erupted on his hand, lighting the area around us. 

      “Can all Jedi create fire?” 

      Kylo Ren shook his head, and blew out the flame. “It depends on what type you are classified as. Some may be Jedi, but because of heredity they might have too little of the gene. For most of the fire talented Jedi I have met, some can start long distance fires with their mind, some can radiate heat. Other talents have specific abilities that other Jedi types wouldn’t have. It’s only the rare few that do have the Jedi gene that can’t heal themselves, so they don’t survive after the government kills them.” 

      “One thing doesn’t make sense,” I said, meeting his eyes. “Why would I have the gene? My mother doesn’t have it, neither did my father, or my older brother.” 

      “It can skip generations depending on the bloodline,” Kylo Ren said. “My parents didn’t have it, but I am still Jedi.”

      “But that doesn’t make sense! If the government knew I would survive,” I said. “Why execute me?” 

      “They aren’t great at predicting if you will survive,” Kylo Ren said. “Once they find out you’re gone, they’ll label you as a fugitive and begin an investigation. The only thing they’ll be able to find is a pile of ashes and footprints.” 

      Kylo Ren stopped at a jagged area, close to a cliff that fell off into a deep pit. He smiled as he saw me look down and he grabbed my hand. “It’s alright. That’s the main cavern,” he said, motioning for me to look down. “Come see.”

I paused at the edge, glancing down below. A large staircase lead to the main floor of the pit, decorated with different sizes of couches and chairs to sit. On top of the ceiling and at the edges of the walls ran plumbing pipes and electrical wires. At a darker corner of the cavern I could make out a garden, illuminated by a small purple light. On the walls of the cavern, torches burned to illuminate the large space. In the middle of the cavern lay a fire pit, untouched by a flame. In the middle of the fire pit stood a statue of a bird, with its wings spread upwards towards the sky.

Kylo Ren drew me closer to him as he led me past large columns of earth and down the stairs. Lava in glass tubes poured into something like an aquifer, and floated around the cavern. Kylo Ren paused for a moment and reached out his hand, cupping some of the lava in his palm as if it were water. He poured the warm liquid down his throat and chuckled at my stare. 

       “Please tell me I am not in a lab back in the Pantheon and this is real,” I said, swiping a hand down my face. “Please tell me I am not on hallucinogenic drugs.” 

       Kylo Ren laughed, shaking his head. “There’s something you need to learn about being Jedi,” Kylo Ren said. “Jedi can do many things that won’t kill us, such as, standing around a cave with free-flowing lava and being completely fine with it.” 

       “Forgive me if it’s weird to think that the almighty Kylo Ren likes to drink lava in his spare time.” 

       Kylo Ren chuckled in response before holding up his arms in a wide berth. “Welcome, to The Resistance!” He shouted. 

The quiet underground hiding place suddenly filled with whoops of laughter and cheers as groups of people began pouring from different corridors. Leading me to an open area, Kylo Ren created a flame on his hand, lighting a bonfire in the fire pit that had remained untouched when I had come in. The amber glow surrounded the statue, causing the bird to look like it was being consumed in the flames. My eyes started to adjust to darkness as I started to see the dozens of strangers that ran towards us, jumping, and flipping, shouting Kylo Ren’s name. 

       “Everyone here is like me?” I asked, dumfounded. 

       “Of course they are!” Kylo Ren cheered. “We’re a family.” The thief bowed to the other Jedi who greeted him as if he were a king. He startled me as he held up my arm in triumph, causing a temporary silence. “Jedi, meet Rey Kenobi!” 

      “Rey!” the crowd shouted back. 

      “Rey!” Kylo Ren proclaimed turning back to face me. “We welcome you to The Resistance! You are now one of us.” 

The crowd of people around me went wild. Some had their entire bodies bursting into flame. Stumbling backwards, I watched the group begin to dance as some of the other Jedi around them had rays of bright light erupting from their skin. The earth moved under my feet as a small group of people created seats from the stone, clinking their glasses together a second later. 

Pressing myself against the cold walls of the cave, I jumped when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. A pair of bright blue eyes stared back at me, the mysterious new figure hesitating for a moment until he came from his hiding place. The stranger looked to be around my age, but his broad shoulders suggested he was maybe a year or two older. 

       “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m quiet.” 

       “It’s alright,” I said, shifting on my feet. “I’m not used to people who can catch their entire bodies on fire, or people who can control dirt, or people who look like human flash-lights either. I guess I’m not used to anything around here.” 

       The man chuckled and stood beside me. “I’m not one for dancing,” he said. “You’re Rey, right?”

        I nodded in response. “That’s right.”

       He smirked, crossing his arms. “You’ve obviously never seen a Jedi before, have you?”

        “Not really, no,” I replied shaking my head.

       The man narrowed his eyes, looking me up and down. He raised an eyebrow. “How did you meet Kylo Ren?”

       “Uh, he ran into me at my local market,” I said. “He got me arrested and executed. Apparently when you are Jedi, that doesn’t work.”

       The strange man seemed to relax, his shoulders deflating as he shifted his place to leaning against the wall. “I’m Hux,” he said, stiffly. “Believe me when I tell you that this is exactly what most nights here are like. Parties are one of the key events each person in The Resistance attends regularly. We have a party every time a new person joins our flock, or if it is someone’s birthday, or when someone discovers a new gift. Really, we celebrate everything. I think it’s annoying to have numerous parties, but Kylo Ren likes them, so I always attend. I’d hate to disappoint him.”

I looked towards the thief who had gotten lost in the wave of Jedi. My eyes moved towards a tiny cluster of people, standing away from the circle. They were a family. A mother, a father, and two children. The mother and father smiled down proudly at one of their children, a son, who produced a flame on his hand, displaying his creation to his parents. 

       “There are entire families down here?” I asked. “How is that even possible?” 

       “Their son is Jedi,” Hux said. “They came here to save his life. I know them, they’re good people. They’d do anything to protect him.”

       “We have something in common,” I said to myself, thinking of my mother and Cassian. 

       “They would have been okay,” Hux said, his voice filling with venom. “If it wasn’t for Supreme Leader.”

       “What do you mean?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

       “You’ve never heard of Supreme Leader’s brother, Luke? The one who was on the throne before him?” 

       “Of course I have,” I scoffed. “My mother doesn’t like talking about him. She says his taxes were overzealous.”

Supreme Leader Luke Skywalker was the leader of Bellona before his brother, Anakin. He had been Supreme Leader only for a year before he got married and had a child. On one tragic night, Supreme Leader, his wife, and young daughter were all killed in a fire. The child’s body was never found, but a pile of ashes and pieces of flesh and hair were discovered near her parent’s remains. Anakin was the only heir, and that was when Bellona submerged into complete chaos.

       “Did you know Luke was planning to stop the Order 66?” I shook my head. That was one thing I couldn’t tell the mysterious man. “Supreme Leader Luke didn’t think the experiments for Order 66 were necessary, and look where he ended up. He died in a fire. How ironic is that?” 

       “Pretty ironic,” I whispered, looking out into the crowd of the dancers.

Kylo Ren twisted around the group and stopped at where I stood, throwing an arm around Hux. He acted so comfortable, so relaxed, even though his hair smoldered with a flame.

      “Rey, it’s nice to see you have met Hux,” Kylo Ren said, nodding towards the strange man.

      “Right,” I said, turning towards him. “Nice to meet you.”

      “Same here,” Hux answered, giving me a small smile. “Liberation from that hellhole needs to be celebrated every time.”

      “Around here, Hux oversees patrol outside our hideout,” Kylo Ren said. “Sometimes he finds stragglers that try to escape Supreme Leader themselves. He also likes to interrogate out new members to make sure they are acceptable.”

       I frowned, glaring at him. “You were testing me?”

       “I had to,” Hux said. “It’s my job. You’d be surprised how many normies we get here who try to pass themselves off as Jedi.”

       “I’m sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “Normies?”

       Kylo Ren leaned over to me. “He’s referring to the population that doesn’t have the gene.”

       My mouth turned upside down in a frown. “You couldn’t have said that?” I asked Hux, raising an eyebrow. 

       “No disturbances today,” Hux said, ignoring me as he faced Kylo Ren. “We continue to be lucky. Hopefully our luck will continue in the next few months.”

       “How does this place remain unnoticed?” I asked. 

       “Sometimes I will go outside on the mountain trail, light a few bushes on fire, and make my skin look translucent. It gives the people in the provinces below a good scare. They believe ghosts live up here,” Hux chuckled. 

       “It’s always been a silly old legend,” Kylo Ren said, drawing my attention back to him. “We take advantage of anything we can, if it will keep the government from discovering our little haven.”

       “There have been a few close calls,” Hux said, narrowing his eyes towards me again. “I don’t usually go into much detail in front of newcomers, but just last week a few Storm Troopers were spotted wandering too close to the entrance. I swear, someone has a connection to the outside and they are going to get everyone in here arrested!”

       “Hux, you worry too much!” Kylo Ren laughed, putting a hand on Hux's shoulder. He turned back to face me. “Just ignore him, Rey. Hux is a worrywart who believes there is a traitor somewhere in the cave.”

       “I don’t believe it, I _know_ there is a mole!” Huxprotested. “You can’t tell me you are just going to ignore the unexplained power outages? The missing items? The sudden influx of government activity in our area?!”

      “Like I said,” Kylo Ren said, shrugging off his comment again. “It’s nothing! If the government had discovered we were down here, don’t you think they would have come here by now to arrest us?”

      “I agree,” I said. “It’s not like the government has a map that leads straight here. Maybe the influx is from a tip they received? Maybe someone gave them information that said a group of Jedi were living in the area but they can’t figure out where?”

     “You don’t get it!” Huxcried. “You are a new here, Rey ! You haven’t been here when we’ve had potential raids, or when Storm Trooperss have gotten too close! You don’t know what it is like to look over your shoulder, because that is the life you have to live now!”

    “Leave her alone!” Kylo Ren growled, pushing Huxaway. “Rey may be new, but she has good instincts. I’d listen to her if I were you. All you are doing right now is creating an imaginary situation out of something that never existed. We aren’t in trouble, and we never will be. I won’t let that happen!”

    Hux clenched his fists, his face turning red. “Someone is a snitch!” he screamed. “Someone is giving them information! Someone is going to get everyone in these caves killed!”

    I didn’t think Kylo Ren or Hux noticed that the music had stopped. The Jedi who were dancing had turned their attention to Kylo Ren and Hux who were arguing. A girl who stood in the middle of the crowd looked in my direction, specifically towards Hux. I elbowed Kylo Ren, moving to the side. 

   “I better go take care of that,” Hux said, shoving past Kylo Ren. “It was nice meeting you, Rey .”

   “You too,” I said, watching Huxshuffle over towards the group. The music came back on slowly as he started talking with some of the Jedi who had watched his argument. 

     Kylo Ren sipped lava from a goblet, narrowing his eyes as he watched Judas. He turned back towards me and gave me a smile. “How are you feeling?” He asked. 

    “Not great,” I said. “Everything here‒ it seems unreal.”

     Kylo Ren leaned back against the wall and offered me the goblet. “When the gene enacted inside me, I didn’t know what was happening. I started a forest fire, which is bad, but it made me realize that everything is _very_ real. This is who I am, and it’s also who you are. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” 

Kylo Ren’s arm traveled around my shoulder, and his right hand began flickering with a small flame. I looked at the room around me, thinking of how everyone was in the same situation as me. My eyes skimmed over the distant faces of people, dancing and laughing until I saw Hux in the crowd.

His bright blue eyes followed my every movement, and I felt cornered. Even with Kylo Ren’s presence something didn’t feel right. Hux's gaze somehow felt dangerous and I looked down, seeing a flame flickering in my hand even though my skin was covered with goosebumps.

Blowing out the fire on my hand, I watched the smoke rise into the air. Feeling his gaze no longer trained on my movements, I glanced up and around the room. Hux may have been gone, but that didn’t stop the darkness of The Resistance to gather around me and swallow me whole. 

 


	8. Blue to Red

I left the party early, anxious to clean myself up. I found an empty room and shut myself inside so I could shower. The cold rains washed off the dirt and ash that remained in my hair, and I closed my eyes as I leaned against the tile wall. My stomach churned as my mind turned towards my mother and Cassian. Did he know that I wasn’t dead? Why didn’t Kylo Ren go back for them? If Kylo Ren cared about me, why wouldn’t he save them? 

The door of the bathroom shuddered as it opened, and a figure concealed in the steam came into the room. 

              “Stay in the shower,” Kylo Ren said through the mist. “I’m just here to talk.”

              “What the hell?!” I screamed, peaking my head out from behind the curtain. “Is this a thing for you? Are you trying to watch me do everything? I had enough of this back in my province.” 

              “Like I said!” Kylo Ren shouted over my protests, leaning against the smooth granite counter. “I’m just here to talk.”

              I rolled my eyes. “You’re lucky I don’t have my gun, otherwise I’d shoot you.”

              “I swear my intentions are noble,” Kylo Ren said, holding up his hands. “I didn’t want to wait for you to get out, so I thought I’d cut to the chase.”

The water trickled onto the shower floor, filling the silence of the room as I sighed. 

             “Fine,” I said, giving up. “What do you want?”

             “I just wanted to talk to you about your thieving technique,” he said. “It sucks. If you were trying to steal from your boyfriend you have to do it when he isn’t watching.”

             “I wasn’t stealing from Cassian!” I cried. “I had the gun with me because I didn’t know what would happen. After those two Storm Troopers talked to me in the square, I needed something to protect myself with. Then again, you probably already know about that, don’t you?”

             Kylo Ren’s face was unreadable for a moment before he turned away from me. “I haven’t truly hated anyone for a long time,” he said. “When I saw what they were doing to you, I almost lost it. I wanted to help you, but I couldn’t.”

             “You really know how to choose your moments when to offer _help_ ,” I said, ignoring the sarcastic tone. “I’m not the only one they treat badly you know.”

             “I know that,” Kylo Ren said.

             “Then why me?” I asked. “Why help me? Why follow me? Why bother me?”

             Kylo Ren shifted on his feet, picking up one of my shoes, examining a hole in the bottom of the sole. “I was in town after stealing from an aristocratic family in a neighboring province and decided to lay low overnight. There was a crowd of Storm Troopers near the borders where I usually cross and I didn’t want to risk anything. I heard there was a drawing earlier that day, and in one of the richer sections of the city I was in, they were showing the faces of the people who would be tested on. It made me so angry, I felt like I was going to explode.”

             “You stole the files?” I asked. 

             Kylo Ren nodded. “I did everything I could to stop it. I mean, one of the other names drawn was a four-year-old girl! I’ve always had a knack for telling who is Jedi and who wasn’t, and I could tell from your picture and health profile that you were positive. You might as well have been wearing a sign! I left the stolen files in the house of a Storm Troopers to cover my tracks and found you washing dishes. I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn’t. So, I waited until the time was right.”

I remained silent before shutting off the water and wiped my face dry with my hands. Kylo Ren handed me a towel and I wrapped it around my body before stepping out into the open. 

            “You weren’t following me because you were obsessed with me,” I said. “You were following me because you wanted to help me?” 

            Kylo Ren nodded, bowing his head for a moment. He stood up, turning away from me. “I guess I’ll leave you alone now,” he said. 

            “Well—wait,” I said, grabbing his arm. He turned and met my eyes, the deep red searching mine. “Thank you…for your help. I owe you a lot. It’s nice to have a someone to look out for me for once.” 

            Kylo Ren hesitated before a smile came across his face. “It's what friends do, Rey. Friends look out for each other. I hope we can become great friends.”

I smiled back, shifting on my feet as I grabbed my clothes from the counter to change back into. Kylo Ren remained standing beside me, twiddling his thumbs. I raised an eyebrow, grabbing his attention.

           “Do you mind?” I asked.

           “No, not at all,” the thief said, giving me a big grin as he leaned back against the counter, his arms behind his head.

            I laughed, pointing at the door. “Get out!”

Kylo Ren exited the bathroom blushing. He patiently waited for me to get redressed outside the bathroom, and walked me back into the party. The other Jedi in the cave continued to dance, but others had started to bring out food, reminding me how hungry I was. 

Kylo Ren handed me a goblet full of lava, and a large apple. I dipped my finger into the drink before I took careful sips of the lava, discovering it tasted the same as warm milk did against my tongue. 

           “Not so bad, right?” Kylo Ren asked. I nodded my head and began to savor the crisp, sweet taste of the apple he had given me. “I discovered these caves when I first began stealing from the government,” Kylo Ren said, taking me across the large den. “This area used to be underground caverns filled with water that lead to a volcano not far from here. The water is depleted, but the volcano is still active. I set up shop here, and many of the things I have stolen, are used to decorate my lair.”

          “What about the golden phoenix statue?” 

          “It was an ancient relic,” Kylo Ren said. “It was discovered by the government after the second Supreme Leader had taken the throne. A group of natives sculpted it back in 1216. They worshiped many creatures, the Phoenix being one of them. This statue stands here in The Resistance today because I believe it symbolizes all of us.”

         “Why?” 

         Kylo Ren smiled, and handed me another apple, making the fruit dance across his fingertips. “Jedi are more resilient to problems. That is a notable trait that I don’t think many people have anymore.” 

         “I can agree with that,” I said. “When my father died, my mother turned to the bottle. She didn’t even try to get her life back together.” 

         “Your mother was there for you though. She tried even though it was little.” 

          I looked back towards the entrance of The Resistance, towards the dark passageway from which we came. “What’s going to happen to her now? The government is going to tell her I’m dead, and that horrible doctor—” 

          “Don’t worry about her,” Kylo Ren offered, placing a hand on my shoulder. 

          “How can you say that?!” I cried. “You don’t even know her, Kylo! You weren’t there when she got so drunk she couldn’t even take me school or even go out for food. You don’t know her habits like I do! I should send her a message telling her I’m alive. She has to know!” 

           Kylo Ren put a hand on my shoulder, and I felt a tear rush down my cheek. His red eyes stared at me with sympathy and guilt. “Rey, I’m sorry,” he said. “If I could have gone back for her and Cassian, I would have. Staying here comes with a price. Think about it, you were just executed. To keep you, your mother, and Cassian safe, I cannot allow you to leave or contact your mother ever again.” 

My throat felt hollow and empty, and my stomach full and churning. I let the apple core in my hand fell to the cave floor as I turned away. 

           “Why?” I asked. “Why didn’t you go back for them?”

           “I couldn’t,” Kylo Ren said. “You burst into flames so quickly after your head had been cut off, I didn’t have time. I’m so sorry.” I scoffed, running a hand through my hair as I began to walk away. Kylo Ren reached out, grabbing my arm, pulling me backward. “Rey, wait!” 

           I pulled my arm away from him and wiped my nose on my sleeve. “It’s late,” I replied coldly. “I’m very tired.”

           “Right,” Kylo Ren said, accepting my anger as he shifted on his feet. “Why don’t I show you to your room then? You could use some rest; you’ve been through a lot today. Some sleep will do you good.”

I said nothing as he led me towards four separate tunnels with torches lighting each of them. Deep red carpets etched with golden thread decorated the floor and a painting of a man with a white horse hung above an entrance to one. 

          “Who is that?” I asked. 

          “That’s the first Supreme Leader of Bellona, Lorcan Skywalker. He started the entire tradition of the lottery for scientific experimentation.”

I stared at the painting and could see the family resemblance between him and Supreme Leader. They had the same puffed cheeks and scrunched dark, blue eyes. The man in the painting held an amulet in his hand, one that looked familiar to the one Supreme Leader wore often.

          “Is that Supreme Leader’s locket?” 

          Kylo Ren nodded. “That’s only thing I haven’t been able to steal from any Skywalker family member. They say in that locket, the Supreme Leader has a key that can unlock a hell that no one here has ever seen before.”

          “Why do you want it?” I asked. 

          “To destroy it,” Kylo Ren replied. “That way no one would be able to use it. I don’t know what’s in it, I mean––It could be anything! Another plague, a switch to turn on androids to kill us all, or even nuclear missiles that weren’t fired off by Endor before the first war.” 

          “I don’t understand, why do you have this picture?”

          Kylo Ren smiled. “The same reason you use the portrait of the Supreme Leader for target practice. It inspires me to keep going. Plus, it's worth thousands of dollars.”

Kylo Ren showed me to the third tunnel, which had a count of six rooms, each across from the other. A girl stood in the doorway of the first room and she blew a flame out that had engulfed her hand as we passed by. If I had met her on the streets of my sector, I would have run the other way. Her dark hair sat in spikes on her head, with a dark pair of glasses resting on her nose. She wore ripped jeans and combat boots and had tattoos running up and down her arms like sleeves of a shirt. 

          “Looks like Kylo Ren brought home his latest rescue,” she said, her accent posh. “What was she, the Supreme Leader’s new plaything?” 

          “No, Jessika. This is Rey. She was classified as Jedi late yesterday and survived being executed early this morning. She was beheaded,” Kylo Ren said, shaking off the girl’s comment.

Jessika raised an eyebrow as she held out her hand and stepped from the dark shadow that had been hiding her face. Her eyes were blood red, with pink flecks. As she stepped further into the light I could see what looked like electrical wires running beneath her skin. She stretched her jaw, and the strange wires disappeared beneath the surface.

          “I’m Jessika Pava. I help Hux with security, but I mainly work with computers and other systems,” I gave her a small smile and shook her hand, feeling the warmth of her palm. “Where are you from string bean?” she asked me.

         “Uh, Bellona?” I answered. 

         “No duh,” Jessika said, rolling her eyes. “We’re all from Bellona. I’m asking you which part.”

         “The Eighth Province of Jakku,” Kylo Ren said, glaring at her. 

         “Oh, so you’re from the north,” Jessika said, crossing her arms. “You think the conditions in the north are bad? The southern provinces are far worse! Believe me, newbie, if I were still living in my province and I came across you, you’d wish you weren’t even born.”

         I looked warily towards Kylo Ren who picked under his nails. “Don’t worry about her threats,” he said. “That means she likes you.” 

         “If you are a fire talent, why do you look like a robot hybrid?” I asked.

         Jessika raised an eyebrow. “You’ve already noticed? Observant, this one.” She leaned closer to me, straightening her glasses. “You’re right. I am a fire talent, but genes mutate. My DNA decided to give different parts of my body malleable properties. What you are seeing is my muscles switching back and forth from flesh to metal. It’s called metallurgy. It’s rare in Jedi from my region, but I’ve learned to control it despite all obstacles.”

         I looked back towards Kylo Ren. “So, even if I am a fire talent, my DNA could give me other gifts that a fire talent wouldn’t usually have?”

         “Look at that!” Jessika cried. “String bean is thinking!” 

         Kylo Ren shot Jessika a frown and crossed his own arms. “Do you want Padme to hear you say that? You know how much she hates your attitude.”

        “Who’s Padme?” I asked.

        “That’d be me,” a new voice said behind me. 

Padme appeared behind me quickly, flashing me a wide grin painted a light pink. Her strawberry blonde curls bounced with her movements as her skin erupted in an array of different colored lights. 

        “I'm so glad we’ve gotten a new neighbor!” she cried, throwing her arms around my shoulders. “I have a new friend!” 

       “Good,” Jessika said, crossing her arms. “Now you can leave me alone.”

        Padme frowned at the girl. “You better be joking.”

        Jessika rolled her eyes and turned back to Kylo Ren. “Have you seen Snaps? I’m supposed to give him a new security card after he lost his other one.” 

       “I haven’t, sorry,” Kylo Ren said. “I just got back with Rey and we’ve been in the Main Cavern. Has there been any occurrences I should know about?” 

       “Nothing else has gone missing yet. The only thing still unaccounted for is the equipment, Snaps’s security card, and our hourly surveillance tapes,” Jessika said, counting on her fingers. 

       “You’ve had a security breach?” I asked. “I thought that you said that everything Hux was worried about earlier wasn’t a problem?”

       “We don’t know who has taken the equipment or the tapes,” Kylo Ren said. “We do know, however, it’s an inside job. It was only a mild security breach anyway, nothing too bad.” 

I shifted on my feet, looking towards the end of the hallway. Kylo Ren must have noticed because he cleared his throat.

       “I’ll show you to your room,” Kylo Ren said, giving Padme and Jessika a nod. “I’ll see you both later. Jessika, keep tracking any irregular activity.” 

Jessika nodded, ducking back into her room with Padme following her. Kylo Ren lead me to the end of the hall, lighting two lamps outside the room door with his hand. He pushed open the door, showing me the inside, and leaned against the frame. The room was lit with torches and had a dresser painted a dark brown. A lamp full of lava sat by the mirror and reflected different shades of light onto the bed. From the door, I could tell the bed was king sized, my fingers twitching as I imagined what the feeling the silk sheets would against my palm as I collapsed against the soft mattress. 

       “This room will be yours,” he said. “I hope it will be to your liking. And yes, I did steal everything in here.” 

       “I’m sure it will be fine,” I said, moving slowly inside. 

       “Before you go to bed, I thought I should let you know that since you are now a member of our community, you’ll need to help support it,” Kylo Ren said. “I can’t steal food for everyone every single day, not to mention clothes and medical supplies.”

       “Right,” I said, biting my lip. “What can I do to help?”

       “The earth talents usually handle growing the food, preparing the food, and taking care of the younger members of the cave. Electrical and light talents usually work with technical objects.”

      “I don’t have a green thumb,” I said with a shrug. “I also don’t like computers. They’re annoying. I broke the last tablet system we had in our house after it told me that taxes had been increased.”

      “It’s your decision on what you want to do,” Kylo Ren said. “Me, I usually only leave if there is a specific need, or if I’m going to recruit more people to join our little club. With your specialty with guns, I suggest you talk with Hux about joining the security team. Your instincts could help with a lot of the issues we’ve been having.”

I nodded, biting my lip again as I realized I would have to talk with Hux again. I didn’t understand why he was so wary of me. He probably wouldn’t agree to let me do anything until he had cleared me of any suspicion he held against me.

      “One thing you need to know around here, everything is like clockwork,” Kylo Ren said. “We usually have a bell to signal breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For the rest of the day, you have free reign to do whatever you please. If you are interested, dinner will be in four hours. You are free to eat it in your room, or eat with the rest of us in the dining hall.”

      “Thanks, again,” I said, sitting on the edge of my bed.

       I gave Kylo Ren a small smile as he turned away, heading out into the hall. “Kylo!” I called after him. The thief turned back, raising an eyebrow. “Is there a way that I could learn how to control my fire?” 

       Kylo Ren smiled, pushing his hands into his pockets. “Come to dinner,” he said. “I’ll introduce you to the best trainer I know.” 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I thought that dinner time in the Forum was hectic, but I was wrong. After a bell chimed five times, the main area of The Resistance seemed to fill with laughter, as well as food. Kylo Ren led me through the crowd, helping me over to a table at the edge of the dining area. He chuckled as I looked in awe at the other tables around me. The other fire talented Jedi cooked their food in their hands, sliding it down their throats afterward.

           “Rey, I'd like you to meet Finn Trooper,” Kylo Ren said, introducing me to a man who sat quietly at the table. He was attractive, to say the least. He was tall, and around Kylo Ren’s height with vermillion colored eyes. His skin was tanned as if he were out in the sun daily, with large biceps that peaked out from underneath the shirt he wore. 

           “Hello,” Finn said, clumsily standing up and shaking my hand. “It’s nice to meet you! Kylo Ren tells me that you need a trainer?”

           “You’d be right,” I said, taking a seat. “Right now, I’m starving. What’s for dinner?”

           “Chicken and rice,” Padme said, wrapping her arms around Finn’s neck. “Protein is big down here. I hope you aren’t vegetarian.” 

           “I’ll be fine,” I said, scooting closer to Kylo Ren as I dug into my plate. “It looks delicious.”

            Kylo Ren chuckled, shaking his head as he took a long sip of his drink. “I guess more introductions are needed,” he said pointing towards an older boy with deep red eyes and a teddy-bear demeanor. “Rey, this is Snaps Wexley, Jessika’s half-brother and the party animal of the group. He practically plans every function we have down here.”

            “I don’t plan everything,” he said with a shrug as he pushed off Kylo Ren’s comment. He had an accent like Jessika’s. “Well, I try to.” 

I squinted, trying to figure out how old he could have been. Snaps looked around 28, while Jessika looked to be more around my age.

            “Jessika told me you are from the north,” Snaps said. “We were from the tenth province of Coraband, close to the border.”

            “What is it like there now?” Jessika asked. “We haven’t visited in so long.”

            I took a sip of my drink, wiping my mouth on a napkin. “Honestly, I don’t know where to start. There have been a lot of riots. Ever since the taxes were raised, it’s been hell in the south. I wouldn’t be surprised if a civil war started between Supreme Leader and the rebels there.”

            Snaps took Jessika’s hand, offering me a sad smile. “It sounds as if things aren’t much better from when we left,” he said. 

            “Snaps disappeared before my parents discovered I was Jedi,” Jessika said. “He came here to The Resistance and rescued me before I was arrested. He brought me here to keep me safe.”

           “We’re lucky,” Snaps said, squeezing his sister’s hand. “Most families are separated when a member is discovered to be Jedi. I was worried every day when she wasn’t here with me.”

           “So, you were dirty-bloods?” I asked. 

The chatter in the dining hall came to a complete stop as every head turned towards our table. Jessika stood up from her seat, glaring at me.

           Kylo Ren leaned towards me, clearing his throat. “We don’t use that kind of terminology down here,” he said. “It offends a lot of people.”

           “I’m so sorry!” I apologized quickly, looking back towards Snaps. “I didn’t know.”

           “It’s alright,” Snaps said, offering me a friendly smile as the conversations at other tables started to pick up again. “I don’t blame you. This place is different than what you have been around most of your life.”

           “I can agree with that,” Padme said, drawing my attention towards her. “I lived in the first province of Coruscant and was raised by my parents to be a proper, serious girl who would one day marry a Storm Troopers. That’s what is expected of most girls in the capital. One day, my parents received a notification from an anonymous source that said my blood was tainted with the Jedi gene. Horrified, they sent me in for official testing. Finn was the Storm Trooper who came to deliver the results. Instead of leading me to the Pantheon to be killed, he brought me here.” 

           “I survived years in the capital rescuing Jedi and bringing them to Kylo Ren,” Finn said, meeting my gaze. “My final mission was bringing Padme to safety, but I was caught during the process. We escaped and came here.”

           The table slipped into a somber silence until Snaps cleared his throat. He gestured towards me, taking a swig of his drink. “Rey, why don’t you tell us about your past life?” he asked, curiosity in his eyes. 

           I frowned, but the others at the table began to beg for my story. Kylo Ren raised an eyebrow, his eyes laughing. “There isn’t really anything to tell,” I said, throwing a glare in his direction. “My father died when I was young. Ever since then my mother and I have been on our own.” 

          “Was your name drawn for Order 66, or did you volunteer?” Snaps asked. 

         “Well, my name was drawn, but my original date was postponed because someone stole my file from the Pantheon,” I said, looking towards Kylo Ren. 

         He ignored me for a moment before looking up and meeting the stares of the others at the table. “What? I’m a thief! Stealing is what I do!” 

         “Sure,” Jessika grumbled. “Use _that_ excuse again.” 

         “Did you have anybody special in your province?” Padme asked, changing the subject. “You had to have been popular among guys in your sector. You’re so pretty!” 

        “Not really,” I said with a shrug as I hid the blush rising on my cheeks. “I’m not the kind of person people make friends with.” 

        “That’s a lie!” Kylo Ren protested. “You’re forgetting your boyfriend, the farmer.” 

        “Cassian thinks I’m dead!” I snapped, glaring at him. “That’s the end of it. Besides, we weren’t even together. He proposed, and I was going to say no.”

Kylo Ren and the rest of the table fell silent for a moment, until Padme reached across the table, taking my hand. 

       “I know it’s hard coming here,” she said, offering me a genuine smile. “It took me a while to get used to it. But, I have no regrets. We’re all friends here.”

       “Forgive me if I find that hard to believe,” I said. “Your head of security seems to believe that someone in these caves is traitor. If you ask me, I think the word _friend_ here, doesn’t mean anything.” 

      “Well, I like you,” Padme said. “So, you’re my friend. If you don’t like it, get over it!” 

      The group around me laughed and I heard Kylo Ren chuckle. “You’ll have to forgive Padme, Rey,” he said. “She likes people a little too much.”

      “There is nothing wrong with liking to be around people!” the girl fought back. 

      “There is if it’s her,” a cranky old voice said. 

The group became silent as a gray-haired woman stepped from a hallway to in-between two other tables in the dining area. She wore a long red dress, and her dark hair was intricately strung into a style I had seen on many women who lived in the capital province one. She walked over to the table and Kylo Ren rose from his seat. 

      “Tia, it’s good to see you are awake,” he said, a nervous smile coming across his lips. “I don’t believe you’ve met our newest member, Rey ?”

     “ _Silencio_ ,” the woman said, waving him off. She pointed a bony finger at me and squinted her red eyes. “You, come here.” 

I rose from my seat as Kylo Ren escorted me over to where she stood. The woman glowered at me before she turned her attention to him, crossing her arms. 

     “You have disobeyed me once again,” she said. 

     “I didn’t want her to be experimented on, or worse; sold into slavery!” Kylo Ren protested, almost like a child would to a parent.

The woman held up her hand in response and looked at me. Her hand clenched my chin and she turned my head from side to side, locking her eyes with mine. 

     “ _Muy bien,_ the red has not set in yet,” she said. “Is she pureblood or descended?” 

     “I believe she is descended,” Kylo Ren said. “You know it is easier to tell the exact time of enactment with descendants.” 

     The woman lets go of my chin and held out her hand to Kylo Ren. “Give me the keys to the helicopter. Because you decided to disobey me, I will keep them for as long as I see fit. Your punishment is, however, shortened for saving indeed, a life that would have been lost.” 

Kylo Ren handed the woman a pair of keys and she wandered back into the dark passageway from which she came. I looked at Kylo Ren who gave me an embarrassed smile. 

       “Sorry about her,” he said, rubbing his neck. He chuckled nervously as he fidgeted with his hands. “She watches over me like a mother hen.” 

       “Who was that?” I asked. 

       “That was Kylo Ren’s conscience,” Finn said, stepping over to us. “She oversees The Resistance when Kylo Ren isn’t around, but she is more like a chaperone than a friend.” 

       “She is to be respected by you, she's hard on everyone including me,” Kylo Ren said, glaring at him before turning back to me. His gaze softened. “She is my aunt. I discovered she was Jedi when I was fleeing one of my many adventures. I thought it would be a good idea to have someone to take care of business down here while I was out, so I enlisted her help.”

        “Why would you listen to her?” I asked. “Not being able to use a helicopter is a big deal. I may not have been here long, but this could affect everyone.”

        “She doesn’t mean any harm,” Kylo Ren said, taking a sip of his drink. “She watches over me as a final favor to my mother.” 

        “Why would she say that I wasn’t a person that should be liked?” I asked. “She hasn’t even met me before.”

        Finn looked at Kylo Ren and he sighed. “You should tell her. She needs to know.”

        Kylo Ren rolled his eyes and began walking back towards the table. “I contacted her and told her about you and your situation. She said that it wasn’t a good idea to rescue you because of your father.”

       “The man has been dead. I don’t understand why that would be a problem.” 

       “I know,” Kylo Ren replied. “I don’t understand either, but she won’t talk about it. She refuses to say anything about every time I try.” 

       “She is as stubborn as a bull!” Padme cried. “But she does care for Kylo Ren deeply. Do not hold a grudge against her. She is just trying to keep everyone safe.” 

        I sat down in my chair and rubbed my arms to get warm. I stopped when I felt the whole table look at me. “What?” 

        “Your eyes are turning red,” Finn said, leaning forward on his elbows. He squinted his eyes. “It’s fun to watch.” 

I picked up a spoon and watched the spectacle through the distorted vision of the steel. The royal blue my eyes once were beginning to disappear, an amber ring flooding towards the center of my iris. I was becoming one of them. I was becoming Jedi.

        “Do they always turn red?” I asked.

        “For fire talents, it’s the normal color,” Kylo Ren said. “It’s only a few cases where the color doesn't change at all.”

        “I liked the way they were,” I muttered. “I didn’t want them to change.” 

        “That’s one of the bad things,” Padme said. “It’s also a good thing. The Jedi gene when enacted removes any flaws. That means you can’t get cancer, need glasses, or get infected by any disease. I can understand about missing your old color. Mine were once a beautiful light blue. Now they’re a trashy yellow.” 

        “You can always change them to what you want you know,” Jessika said. “I didn’t like the color mine turned either, so I always drink extra lava in the morning to drown the dark crimson color.” 

The rest of the group started to make fun of Jessika’s drinking habits until Hux came and sat at the table. He glared at me for a moment until he started digging into his own plate of food.

        “Where have you been?” Padme asked. “You’re not usually late for dinner.”

        “I had stuff to do,” Hux said, taking a big bite of chicken. He cocked his head, meeting my gaze ad he took a swig of his drink. “Your eyes are red. That was fast.” 

        “Does it usually take longer?” I asked.

        “It depends on the person,” Hux replied, looking down into his food. 

         Kylo Ren shifted in his seat, putting an arm around my shoulder. “Rey was hoping to start helping with you with security. I thought she should talk to you about it tonight.”

         Hux looked up, meeting his gaze. “And what does she have to offer me?”

         “She is adept with a gun,” Kylo Ren said, motioning towards my pistol. “We could use a sharpshooter. It could come in handy.” 

         Hux narrowed his eyes towards me again, staring at me as if I had just insulted his mother. He took another swig of his drink before rising from his seat. “I’ll think about it,” he said, standing beside Padme. “For now, you should get used to the way things are run around here. I don’t want an amateur to compromise our systems.”

         “Understood,” I said as he walked away. 

Jessika raised an eyebrow, whispering something to Snaps that made him crack a grin. Padme remained oddly silent beside Finn who picked underneath his nails. Kylo Ren glowered at Hux as he walked towards a separate tunnel of The Resistance. 

        “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll talk to him.”

        “It’s okay,” I said, rising from my seat. “He’s right. I should take things slow. I’m new here, I don’t know how things work. It’s better for me to hang back for now while I um…learn the systems.” 

Kylo Ren offered me a smile in return, meeting my eyes. I looked away from his gaze as the conversation at the table around me returned to its animated fervor. 

 


	9. Project Phoenix

The next morning, I tried to sleep in, but the sound of my door opening distracted me. I groaned and pulled my pistol from underneath my pillow. I opened one eye, and saw Kylo Ren approaching me from the door. 

“Rey ?” he whispered. “Are you asleep?” 

“I was,” I muttered, running a hand across my face. “What are you doing in here so early?” 

“I thought we could go on morning patrol together. It’s my turn, and you need to be trained on how to do it properly. Hux has given you permission to go out on the trails with me. It’s an easy job really. If you see anyone suspicious, it is your responsibility to either lead them safely away from The Resistance or kill them.”

“Kill them?”  

“We haven’t run into any Storm Troopers over here yet, but since there have been security breaches we need to be ready for anything. Hux has detected strange explosions in the distance, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we had company this morning.” 

I hesitated, wondering if should stay behind. I didn’t have any control over my gift, unlike the others. I needed to train. 

“It’ll be fine,” Kylo Ren said, sensing my hesitation. “I need a sharpshooter with me in case there is any trouble.” 

I sighed. “Fine, I’ll go,” I said. 

I dressed quickly while Kylo Ren waited outside my room. I chose to wear a long-sleeved purple shirt and a pair of fitted forest green pants with brown boots and found that the clothes were quite comfortable. For once I didn’t have to wear dirty clothes that were falling apart or borrow a vomit covered item from my mother.

I met Kylo Ren outside my room and he motioned for me to follow him. We walked past the Phoenix statue and into another corridor, which led to another rocky cavern. I knew that even if I fell and landed on the razor-sharp bedrock below me, I wouldn’t die. 

“How do we get out of here?” I asked. 

“Well, since I no longer have the helicopter, we’ll have to take a different route.” 

I frowned at his tone. Kylo Ren pointed ahead to the edge of a cliff on the opposite side of the cavern. He folded the sleeves of his jacket up to his elbows, lunging out on his left leg. I moved backward, watching what he was about to do. Kylo Ren gave me a final grin before sprinting towards the edge of the cavern, jumping into the air. My hands flew to my mouth as he sailed through the air, over the rocky cavern and onto the edge on the other side.

“What the hell did you do?!” I shouted at him. “How am I supposed to get over?”

“Simple!” Kylo Ren shouted back. “You do the same thing I just did! The rush is unlike anything you have ever experienced before!” 

I walked carefully over to the edge of the cavern, peering down to look at the rocky bedrock below. I swallowed nervously before nodding slowly, walking back towards the same spot he had sprinted from.

“What if I can’t do it?” I asked him. “What if I fall?”

“Don’t worry!” Kylo Ren encouraged. “Try it!”

I took in a deep breath, combing back my hair on my head with my fingers. Two seconds passed before I started sprinting towards the edge. As I approached the cavern’s edge my heart rate started to pick up. I screamed as I realized I had jumped into the air and was sailing 50 feet over the cavern below. Kylo Ren shouted with joy as I made it halfway across and closer to where he stood. I flailed my arms as I rolled onto the cliff’s edge at Kylo Ren’s feet. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt Kylo Ren’s arm slip around my waist. He led me slowly over towards a rope ladder, pausing to let me take a few deep breaths.

“Get me out of here!” I screamed. I felt myself breathing heavily and I turned away from the cavern. “Get me out of here,” I repeated. 

“Rey —” 

“I want to leave, now!”

Kylo Ren didn’t protest as I turned back to face the ladder. My hands shook as I grasped the thin rope material. Kylo Ren stood under me as I began to climb, and I felt the adrenaline pumping into my heart. I tried not to look down, but instead of seeing Kylo Ren’s red eyes, I saw the ground, pulsating and crumbling. I felt a gulp escape my throat and the rope between my fingers snapped. I fell about an inch before Kylo Ren caught me in his arms and I was hyperventilating. 

“Rey, calm down, it’s okay,” Kylo Ren said, holding me close to his body. 

I clutched his leather jacket in my hands and peered up into the soft gaze he was giving me. “Why is this happening to me?” I asked. “I’ve never been horrendously afraid of anything before in my life.” 

“What you are going through is completely normal,” Kylo Ren said, hoisting me back up onto the ladder. “When the Jedi gene is enacted, it heightens your senses. It’s natural to see a few hallucinations and feel a little uneasy. It happens to everyone at first, I promise.” 

“Can you climb above me?” I asked. “I would feel better if you went first.” 

“What if I carried you up with me instead?” Kylo Ren gave me a smirk and grabbed my waist as he climbed the rope ladder with ease. 

“How can you be this strong?” I asked.

“What do you think?” Kylo Ren replied as he continued to climb the ladder. He didn’t seem to struggle with anything. “The Jedi gene of course!”

Instead of looking down at the cave floor a second time, I looked up into the somber morning sky. Tree limbs stretched above us, birds chirping as we came through the secret exit. Kylo Ren reached the top and placed me onto an edge, so I could swing my legs over. 

As I looked at the area around us, I was surprised to find an open mountain range. Cliffs ranged hundreds of yards below us, and a few trees hung above us. The wind blew through my loose hair as I ran my fingers through the sinuous locks. 

Kylo Ren plucked a gun from his jacket, holstering the pistol before he motioned for me to follow him down a dirt path which lead deeper into the cluster of trees. Walking towards the edge of the path, I took in a deep breath of the morning air. Reds, greens, blues, oranges, and yellows decorated the forest and the valley below. The wind seemed to mix the colors together, almost like a painter would their pallet. 

“It’s so beautiful,” I said, a smile coming across my lips.

Kylo Ren smirked and I frowned. “It isn’t the only thing, believe me.” 

I laughed in response, turning back to the trail, and letting the remark drop. I kept my eyes peeled on the area around me. 

“You’re really going to flirt with me right now?” I asked. 

“You said it yourself,” Kylo Ren said, lowering his voice as he started to step towards me, his arms out. “It’s a beautiful day.” 

“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to move away from him and his embrace.

“Shhh, listen,” Kylo Ren said, hugging my body close to him. “Do you hear the leaves crunching?” 

I remained still, my ears prickling at the sound that seemed to come closer and closer. I timed my reflexes, shooting the figure who emerged from the trees in the arm. He crumpled to the ground, crying out in pain. 

“How did I do that?” I cried. “I didn’t mean to do that!”

“The gene is starting to affect your reflexes,” Kylo Ren said, kneeling by the man I had just shot. “We’ll have to look deeper into that later.” He swiped his hand across the man’s wound, holding his finger up for me to see. “It’s a normie,” Kylo Ren said, kicking the man slightly with his foot. “What are you doing up here on our mountain?”

“Please, don’t hurt me!” the man begged, holding his wounded arm. “My boss told me to distract you!”

“Distract us?” I asked. “What does he mean?”

“Rey, duck!” Kylo Ren screamed, pushing me to the ground as an ax flew over my head, cutting a thin line across Kylo Ren’s cheek. No blood came from the wound, only ash. Two men ran from the bushes and pushed me away, kicking Kylo Ren in the stomach and ribs. 

“Leave him alone!” I cried, trying to point my gun at our attackers.

The bushes rustled again, and a chubby man emerged from the shadows. He laughed at me, motioning for the thinner man who held the ax to move away. The chubby man removed a cigar from his pocket and gave me a smile as he noticed my stare.

“Rey, is it?” he asked. “Allow me to introduce myself.”

“I could care less about who you are,” I said, keeping my stance, and my pistol in my hand.

“They call me Reginald,” the chubby man said. “I’m here to get my money back from your...ah…thieving, rotten boyfriend.”

“He isn’t my boyfriend,” I hissed. “I suggest you leave unless you want a bullet hole to go in your head right above your eyes.”

Reginald laughed again and waved his hand for one of the other men with him to bring him a knife. Reginald took the knife and used the blade to cut a line across his palm. I held my breath as I waited for the blood, only to see that his skin began to burn the cut away. 

“That’s right,” Reginald said, smirking at my surprise. “I’m Jedi too. How do you think I know about this place? No average normie would make their way up here.”

“Reggie, listen,” Kylo Ren said, holding his side, trying to get the chubby man’s attention. “I’ll pay you back. I need you to give me time.” 

“Time?” Reginald, or Reggie, scoffed. “I’ve already given you time! I used to think you great and fearless. Turns out I was wrong. Everyone has flaws. _Yours is greed_.” 

Reginald moved forward with the knife, moving his hand back as if he were about to stab him when he dodged Kylo Ren and stabbed me instead. 

“Rey!” Kylo Ren screamed. “Get away from her.” 

I crumpled over, feeling the blade inside me. “I’m guessing you are new up here,” Reginald hissed in my ear. “Newly enacted Jedi skin is always so precious, so thin, so _fragile_.” 

I cried out in pain as Reginald twisted the blade inside me. The heat rose in my chest and spread quickly throughout my body. My blood felt as if it were boiling, the tip of the metal knife melting inside my body as the heat closed the wound. Reginald pulled back slightly as he started to realize what was happening.

My skin started to smolder, the veins in my arms and neck glowing like embers would in a fire. Water vapor that remained in the air started to boil as the temperature started to rise around me. Any hesitation I had before about shooting Reginald or trying to hurt him melted away with the rest of the knife. 

My blood pumped faster, my fists clenched as my anger seethed through my skin in the form of growing flames. My legs twitched, feeling almost as if I could run a mile in a minute. 

My glare returned towards Reggie, who only held the plastic hilt of a knife in his hands. I grabbed his arms, dropping my gun onto the ground. 

“Stay…the hell...away…from me!” I screamed feeling my hands break out in flames as my entire body caught fire. 

The mountain around us exploded, sending Reginald’s men flying down the mountain trail. Reginald gasped loudly at his mistake, his men not having a moment to scream as they dropped dead to the ground, their bodies burned to a crisp. I remained unharmed, along with Kylo Ren who remained silent, his eyes shining with pride. Reginald tried to scamper away, not getting very far when I blocked him with my leg. I could tell I had caught him off guard from the obvious fear in his eyes.

“Surprised Reggie?” I asked, picking up my gun and taking off the safety. Kylo Ren rose from his spot behind me and cracked his knuckles, glaring at Reginald. 

“There is no need to get violent!” Reginald laughed with a small smile. “I didn’t mean any harm.”

“That’s a lie,” Kylo Ren hissed, yanking the chubby man up from the ground by his shirt. “You were always pretty stupid, Reggie. Honestly, did you think you could get away with attacking me while I was being accompanied by someone who is equally as powerful as I am? I owe you _nothing_. As for Rey, what you owe her, she will decide.”

The chubby man turned his fearful eyes towards me. I crossed my arms, examining his pants and jacket pockets for anything that might be of value when I noticed a discarded satchel sitting in one of the bushes, unharmed. I smiled and looked towards Kylo Ren, pointing towards the bag. 

“I think I am starting to like that bag right there,” I said, moving his chin with the barrel of my gun. 

Reginald looked over towards Kylo Ren, shaking his hand. “No, I can’t give it to you!” he cried. “I’m supposed to take it to the Supreme Leader!”

“Interesting,” I said. “That only makes me want it more. Now hand it over.” Kylo Ren gave me a smile as he forced Reginald forward, and picked up the bag, tossing it to me.

“You will only cause your own destruction!” Reginald cried, tearing himself away from Kylo Ren. “Wherever that file goes, it kills everyone it is associated with!” 

“I’m not afraid of a few papers, are you?” Kylo Ren asked me, his lips folding into a small grin.

“Are you kidding? Paper cuts make me laugh,” I said, smiling at him in return. 

“Fine!” Reginald exclaimed, throwing his hands back in defeat. “I warned you!”

“Oh, you aren't going anywhere yet,” Kylo Ren said, grabbing Reginald’s arms, and shoving his face into the mountain side. “You didn’t just come up here to get money from me! You could care less about the debt I owe you!”

“Wait a minute,” I said, shifting closer to Kylo Ren. “Maybe he could be the one responsible for all the security breaches? It’d make sense, he knows the layout of The Resistance and the location of the cavern.”

Reginald snickered into his hand. “Yes, assume it was me, young one! I am always responsible for everything, aren’t I?”

“Shut up!” I hissed, smacking him on the cheek with the butt of my gun. 

Kylo Ren pondered what I had said before shaking his head. “I would agree with you Rey, but it couldn’t have been him. The areas that were affected weren’t built when he was in The Resistance. They were all new areas; he wouldn’t know the new layout.” Kylo Ren turned back to face Reginald, motioning for me to point my gun at his head. “Tell us why you were making a trip to Supreme Leader.”

Reginald laughed, throwing his head back. “What? Did you think I was still loyal to you? After all these years?”

“Get to the point!” I grunted, shoving my barrel deeper into his skin. 

“My point is,” Reginald said, glaring at me. “Is that you’ve made some enemies. You are right, the security breaches are from someone on the inside. The people you call friends, they aren’t your friends, they are your enemies! So, I’d watch your back. _I’m not the only one who’s turned against you_.” 

Kylo Ren shoved Reginald away, turning to me as the man laughed. “Enjoy your new prize,” Reginald said, snickering. “I do hope it will bring you _happiness_.”

As Reginald moved back down the mountain trail, I kept my pistol trained on his back until I turned towards Kylo Ren, who was looking down towards the bag. 

“What did he mean?” I asked. “Why would he claim that more people have turned against you?” 

“He means that the situation is worse than I thought,” Kylo Ren said, turning to me. “What’s in the bag?”

The satchel’s flap was burned, the padlock that originally held it together had melted from the fire. Inside, were burned photos of different sectors in Province Three and Four, along with a manila folder. The material felt old, and the papers inside were an aged yellow. Printed at the top of the folder in large, bolded red letters was the title: **PROJECT PHOENIX.**

I opened the folder and began skimming the papers inside when Kylo Ren grabbed my arm. “We have to get out of here,” he said, his voice frantic, looking around the mountain as if he expected Storm Troopers to pop up from behind every rock and tree.

“Why? What’s going on?” 

“We have to leave now, Rey!” Kylo Ren said, a desperate look showing through his eyes. He steered me towards the edge of the mountain and began feeling around for an invisible object. Kylo Ren found a small boulder the size of my hand, and he pulled it. A tunnel opened in front of us, and long, winding stairs lead back up into the cave wall. A rocky door closed behind us as soon as we entered and Kylo Ren caught his hand on fire. 

“What’s wrong? Do you know what this file is?” I asked, stopping at the edge of the stairs. 

Kylo Ren ran a hand through his dark hair and he stared down into my eyes. I hadn’t seen the thief act so vulnerable or afraid. I grabbed his hands to comfort him, even though I wouldn’t be able to say anything at all.

“I don’t know how Reginald got his hands on it,” Kylo Ren whispered. “Whatever Reginald was doing; he was working for Anakin. The file belongs to the government. Project Phoenix involved my father.” 

“You’ve heard of this?” I asked, reaching for the folder. 

Kylo Ren allowed me to take the folder from his hands, and I flipped through the contents, finding pictures and numerous papers. I found a picture of a scientist, which had a pasted label on the bottom. The man looked at the photographer with a serious glare, but he had a twinkle in his faded blue eyes. 

“Rey, we need to go back to the main part of The Resistance.”

“What about the file?” I asked. 

“Don’t tell anyone else about it. I think we need to keep this between us.” 

“You’re going to trust me?” I asked. “Reginald said it himself. People are turning against you. It isn’t safe—you barely know me!”

“I trust you because I know you’re innocent. After everything you’ve been through, you’d never side with Supreme Leader.” I hesitated, turning back towards the main entrance to The Resistance. Kylo Ren removed the file gently from my hands, hiding it inside his jacket pocket. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Feeling any pain at all?”

“I’ll be fine,” I said, following him down the hall. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere private to talk,” Kylo Ren said, pulling a lever outside a door, opening a secret hatch to a room. He stepped back, allowing me to go in first. 

As the door closed behind me, I gasped as I looked at the room around me. I had read in school about how grand Supreme Leader’s palace was, but it couldn’t compare to the splendor of Kylo Ren’s room. I knew the thief had stolen many things from Supreme Leader over the years, but I couldn’t begin to imagine the treasures he had on display. 

Glittering, shining, sparkling metals and gems reflected in the darkness of his room. I walked over to a gilded dresser, with the inscription of the royal family on the porcelain frame. I ran my fingers over the expensive material, careful not to leave any smudges. Other objects in the room included paintings, velvet chairs, expensive fabrics, crown jewels, and even a safe full of money. The bills were in stacks, just like the money Kylo Ren had given me the night I had met him at the forum. 

I turned to Kylo Ren, seeing him observe my movements. His expression was unreadable. “Has the Jedi gene helped you steal everything?” I asked. 

“Let’s stay on subject,” he said, a small grin coming across his face. “We now have a government file in our possession. If Reginald is right, and there are people in The Resistance who want me gone, I’m going to need your help.”

“What do I need to do?” I asked. 

“Look for any suspicious activity. If anyone is acting peculiar, no matter how silly it seems, tell me.” 

“What if I have something to tell you that I can’t say in front of everyone else?” I asked. “What if I need to talk to you immediately, and the person I need to tell you about is present?”

Kylo Ren thought for a moment, tapping his chin. “We’ll need a signal,” he said. “Something casual. Something that wouldn’t draw attention to us.” 

“I could mention cleaning my gun?”

“No,” Kylo Ren said, shaking his head. “That’s too obvious. What if you cough into your hand? You could tell everyone that you are still recovering from a sickness that has plagued you ever since you were a child.” 

“And they will believe me because I’ve been in poverty most of my life, and I haven’t had access to medical care,” I said, a smile spreading across my lips. “That’s a good idea.”

“Good,” Kylo Ren said with a nod. “We will always meet back here in my room when we are going to talk. I don’t trust talking anywhere else.” 

“Just answer something for me first,” I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “What did Reginald mean, when he said after all these years? You have to be around twenty and he looks more like he is in his forties.” 

Kylo Ren bowed his head. “That’s the price of the Jedi gene,” he said. “It gives you the ability to heal yourself, but it takes something away else.”

“What’s that?” I asked. 

“The ability to age,” Kylo Ren said. “The clock that was started ticking when you were born, slows down. Eventually, it comes to a complete stop. I don’t know what happens when a person reaches that point, but I’m sure we’ll figure that out.” 

“What about––”

“Everybody else?” Kylo Ren asked, interrupting me. “Yes, they are older than they look too. That’s why what Reginald says, it’s going to be hard for me to figure out who would want to betray me.” 

“He said you had many enemies over the years,” I said, crossing my arms. “If you aren’t twenty, how old are you?” 

Kylo Ren gave me a small smile. “Let’s just say I’ve been around,” he said. “And now, all my years of experience are turning against me.” Kylo Ren turned to the door of his room as if he were looking out into the main area. “There are people out there who want me gone,” he said. “If you aren’t careful, you’ll end up in the same boat.”


	10. The Name Game

“Good,” Finn said. “Keep going.” 

I concentrated, thinking of the explosion. I held out my hands, picturing the white-hot flames that escaped through my fingertips only the day before. It all happened so fast. I couldn’t recreate it. 

“I’m sorry,” I said, putting my arms down. “I don’t think I can do it.”

“Yes, you can,” Finn said. “With my help, you’ll be able to do even more.” 

I shook my head, running a hand through my hair. “You’re willing to believe that I will be able to create that much flame again?” I asked. 

“You’re new to this Rey, so you don’t understand,” Finn said, handing me a bottle of water. “Being Jedi, it means the gift we have is tied to our emotions. Now, you didn’t tell me exactly what happened yesterday to cause you to create such a large spectacle, and I’m not going to push you to tell me something you aren’t comfortable with. I would just like to know, what were you feeling? For most Jedi, the most common activators are sadness, anger, as well as a sense of calm and happiness. What were you feeling?” 

“Angry,” I said. “Why?” 

“Let’s call it confirmation for now,” Finn said, tapping his chin. “Now, let’s see how hard we can push your upper body. Give me twenty push-ups.” 

I rolled my eyes, stooping down onto the floor. Finn moved his foot onto my back, pushing me against the floor. “I don’t see,” I choked out, “How this is going to help.” 

“You said you wanted me to train you,” Finn said. “We’re going to do it my way. That gun may get you far, but your gift will get you farther. Plus, you need some muscle tone _shrimpy_.” 

I heard Padme scoff from behind me. “Finn, you don’t need to be cruel,” she chided. “He is right, Rey. If you’re going to survive as a Jedi, you need to learn how to use your gift.” 

I glanced up at her. “Don’t tell me you’re taking his side!” 

Padme grabbed onto Finn’s arm, leaning her head onto his shoulder. “If it wasn’t for Finn, I wouldn’t know how to kick butt. Now shut up, and do your pushups, _shrimpy_.” 

“Traitor,” I muttered, despite Finn and Padme’s consistent giggles.

I continued to do push-ups, looking around the room as I held my concentration. Jessika came into the workout area and shoved aside a few other cave-dwellers on one of the machines. 

“Get ready,” she said, her eyes flashing angrily. “The moose is on the loose and she is bringing Hell with her.”

“Seriously? She’s back already?!” Padme whined. “Why can’t she go away?” 

“Who are you guys talking about?” I asked, hopping up from my spot. 

From the main entrance to The Resistance I saw numerous other Jedi carrying down bags and containers, all colored a bright pink. A statuesque woman emerged a second later, a smile stretched across her thin lips. I was instantly uncomfortable. She was everything I wasn’t. Tall, pretty, with long straight hair, and a smile that could send shivers down a person’s spine. 

“Who is that?” I asked. 

“Trust me,” Jessika said. “You don’t wanna know.”

“You know how people say there used to be a God?” Finn asked, crossing his arms. 

I nodded in response.

“She’d be the devil incarnate,” Padme said, moving to stand beside me. 

Among the figures carrying boxes and bags, I recognized Snaps with an annoyed look painted across his face. 

“Thank you, Snaps,” the woman said, giving him a smile and a small kiss on his cheek. Snaps wiped the affection from his cheek, muttering underneath his breath as he made his way towards Jessika. 

“I see that Phasma is back?” Finn mused, sliding an arm around Padme. 

“She just got back from buying supplies in Naboo,” Snaps said, nodding towards her. “She did a little personal shopping on her trip as well and she needed some help bringing down her bags.” 

“Why don’t you guys like her?” I asked, staring at the girl. 

“She’s two-faced and spiteful!” Padme cried. “I don’t know why Kylo Ren allows her to come down here. She annoys everyone.”

“You and I both know he has his reasons,” Finn said. “This one is the most infamous of them all, the love-bug.” 

“W-what?” I asked, stuttering.

“Phasma is Kylo Ren’s girlfriend,” Jessika said. “They’ve been together for over a year now. Hopefully, it will never reach two.” 

Up ahead I heard laughter as Phasma ran into Kylo Ren’s arms, showering his face with kisses, smearing pink lip color on his cheeks and forehead. 

A flame flickered to life on my cheek, and I quickly snuffed it out with my palm, controlling the embarrassment that built up inside me as Kylo Ren walked over towards the workout area with Phasma on his arm. The blonde purred as he whispered something in her ear. She even had a perfect laugh, a tinkling of silver bells that sounded harsh and shrill to my ears.

“Ugh, I think I’m gonna be sick,” I muttered to myself, turning away. 

“Rey, I'm so glad you’re here!” Kylo Ren called to me, drawing my attention to him. “This is Gwen Phasma, another cave occupant, and a member of your hallway.” 

“It’s so nice to meet you!” Phasma chirped, examining me with her bright pink eyes. She detached herself from Kylo Ren, coming face to face with me, and touching my hair, picking through it with a disgusted face. I pushed away from her, tying my loose hair up into a ponytail.

“This is Rey,” Jessika said, pointing at me. “We like her.” 

“You’re so pretty,” she said with a fake tone, ignoring Jessika’s remark. “It’s wonderful to have you here with us! I do hope we can be... _friends_.” 

Padme met my eyes as she shook her head wildly, giving me a fearful look. 

“I’ll be the judge of that,” I said, crossing my arms. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, you interrupted my training session.” 

“Training? Oh, you are one of _those_ people,” Phasma said, turning back to Kylo Ren as she started to laugh again. I was starting to hate that laugh. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?’ I asked, glaring at her. 

“Let’s not start a fight,” Kylo Ren said, stepping in between us. “Dinner is just about to start. I made sure the earth talents prepared your favorite tonight, darling. Pineapple braised ham with Cajun seasoned mixed vegetables and crème brûlèe for dessert.” 

“You spoil me rotten, Honey Melon,” Phasma cooed, pressing a kiss to his lips. 

I turned away as the kisses increased, and covered my mouth with my hand as I coughed, trying to make it sound convincing. “Sorry,” I said, holding a hand to my throat. “I guess I’ll be late for dinner. I’m not feeling well today.” 

“Go ahead sweetie,” Phasma said, waving me away like a servant. “We’ll start without you.” 

I rolled my eyes, meeting Kylo Ren’s gaze for a moment, seeing him nod before I moved into the barracks hallway and waited. We were going to talk, and I was going to give him a piece of my mind. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Sorry it took me so long,” Kylo Ren said, shutting the door to his room. “Phasma wanted me to stay. She’s been away for a few days.” 

“Of course she did,” I said, leaning back against the wall, crossing my arms. “According to Padme, she’s the devil incarnate.” 

“What?” Kylo Ren asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend,” I said, crossing my arms. “What else have you lied about?’

“I didn’t lie to you about anything,” Kylo Ren said. “For a thief, I’ve been quite forthcoming.” 

“Then why flirt with me?” I asked. “Are you trying to lead me on?”

“Of course not!” Kylo Ren protested. “That’s ridiculous! I would never do that!” 

Angry tears flooded my eyes as I pushed him away. “No, it is not!” I screamed back as I started to feel heat travel up and my arms and legs. “You flirt with me and make fun of me for having someone in my own life, whom you did not save, and you still have the audacity to not tell me you had a girlfriend yourself!” 

Smoke started to come from my fingers, the skin on my hands igniting into flames. “I had to find out, today when she was coming in the door. If you trust me so much, why not tell me an important fact about your personal life? It seems to me that you don’t trust anyone but yourself!” 

“That’s enough!” Kylo Ren yelled over me, his eyes glaring into my own. His red eyes flickered as he gritted his teeth. “I am not trying to lead you on, I promise.”

“Then what the hell are you doing?!” I asked, feeling my hair start to smolder. “If you are trying to cheat on your girlfriend with me, then you are way out of line––“

“You’re the one out of line if you think that’s what this is!” Kylo Ren yelled back, a flame bursting to life on his head. 

“I’m out of line?!” I exclaimed, clenching my fists. My hands and arms shook as I started to lose control. Kylo Ren’s eyes flew towards the blankets that lay on his bed as the silk caught fire. 

“Rey! Rey, calm down!” Kylo Ren exclaimed as he smothered out the flames with his hands. The rug that I was standing on started to smoke as the fabric started to burn. A burn pattern formed around my feet as the brass rings that I had been wearing on my fingers dripped from my hands onto the floor. 

My chest heaved up and down as I started moving towards the door. Kylo Ren stepped in my way, moving his arms on both sides of my shoulders. Flipping me around, he hesitated before running a hand through his hair. 

“You aren’t going anywhere,” he said. 

I blew ash out of my face. “Watch me.” 

“No,” Kylo Ren said, grabbing my wrists. He pinned my arms above my head, leaning his head closer. I fought against him, feeling him struggle to keep me still. A droplet of sweat slipped down my back, sizzling against the contact of my warm skin. 

“Let, me, go!” I snapped, trying to shove him away. 

Kylo Ren rolled his eyes, squeezing my wrists in his hands. “You need to calm down,” he said, his voice low. “You’re not used to using your powers yet, Rey. If you lose control you might explode.”

“At least I’d be away from you!” I hissed, shoving past him. I looked down at my hands, the skin of my palms continuing to burn. I sighed, looking back at him. “What do I do?” I asked.

Kylo Ren took my hands, closing his eyes. “Take a deep breath,” he said. “A deep, calming breath. Think of something that makes you happy.”

I shifted in place, still angry with him. I wanted to yank my hands from his grip, but I did as I was told. My heartbeat started to slow down as I closed my eyes. I took a breath, and then another. Three seconds passed before I felt our pulses become synced. 

I blinked, and Kylo Ren’s bedroom was gone. Instead, I was standing in the middle of a regal ballroom. Flashes of light passed in front of my eyes, and I saw flames spreading in front of me. A distant voice shouted at me, calling me a monster. 

I blinked again, and I was back in Kylo Ren’s bedroom, crumpling to the floor. I cried out in pain, wincing as it spread across my chest to my arms and legs. The fires that remained on my body flickered out. 

“Rey, what happened?” Kylo Ren asked, kneeling at my feet. “What did you do?”

“I don’t know,” I said, rolling away from him. I pulled myself up from the floor using the leg of a table. Kylo Ren moved to help me, but I shoved him away. 

“Why are you being like this?” he asked, glaring at me.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a girlfriend?!” 

“I’m sorry! How many times must I say it?” Kylo Ren cried. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you! That’s on me!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked. “You’re supposed to trust me, remember?”

“I do trust you!” Kylo Ren hissed, wiping a hand across his face. He took a calming breath, biting his lip. “I do trust you, Rey,” he said, his voice calm. He met my gaze, taking one of my hands in his. “I am sorry. I should have told you.”

I rolled my eyes. “You weren’t trying to lead me on?” 

“No,” he said. “I wouldn’t do that, ever.”

I looked back towards the door, thinking of the others who sat in the dining area with Phasma. “I don’t think they like her very much,” I said.

“Who?” 

“Padme, Snaps, Jessika, and Finn,” I said, sitting down on his bed. “I don’t think they like her.”

Kylo Ren shrugged, taking a seat beside me. “She’s a hard person to like,” Kylo Ren said. “It took me a while to get used to her laugh, but she isn’t a hard person to be around…sometimes. I think if you spent some time with her, you two would get along.”

I rolled my eyes. “I thought I told you that I don’t make friends, and people don’t like me.”

Kylo Ren smiled, throwing an arm around my shoulder. He leaned closer, pressing his forehead against mine. “I’ve learned to ignore you. I’m your friend. If you don’t like it, get over it.”

I met his gaze and relaxed my body as I let out a deep sigh. Kylo Ren brushed a finger across the back of my hand, his eyes not leaving my own.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked in a quiet voice. Kylo Ren nodded. “You said that everyone in The Resistance is older than they really look.”

“That’s right.”

“How old?” I asked. 

“What?”

“How old are you?” I asked again. 

“You really want to know?” he asked, shifting in his seat. “Rey, I’m practically a fossil. I have never told anyone how old I really am. Not even Phasma.”

“Do you want to earn my trust?” I asked, moving to sit on my knees. I grabbed Kylo Ren’s attention by taking his hand in mine. “How old are you?” 

Kylo Ren sighed and licked his lips. “233,” he said. “I’ll be 234 in August.” 

“That’s impossible,” I whispered, looking away. 

“Hey, you were the one who asked!” Kylo Ren teased, a grin coming across his lips. I could tell he wasn’t angry with me anymore.

“But that means—”

“I was still around when the United States was in existence,” he said. “That would be correct. I told you, I’m a fossil.” 

“If you have been around all this time,” I said. “Why hasn’t the public known about you before? You’ve been alive ever since Bellona was even a thought!”

“The government kept my crimes a secret for a while,” Kylo Ren said. “They didn’t want word to get out that a Jedi has been stealing from the royal family for years. They thought that they would be perceived as weak if the public knew. An anonymous tip happened to make its way across Bellona and soon everyone knew about me.”

“You’re really 233 years old?” I asked, stroking my hand across his cheek. “That’s amazing.”

Kylo Ren smiled back at me, his eyes shining in the darkness. There was silence between us as a tingle spread through my fingers. He seemed to lean into my touch, and I didn’t entirely hate it. 

“I am sorry I didn’t tell you about Phasma,” Kylo Ren said, his voice quiet. “I’m not one to share personal information.”

“You can trust me,” my voice at a whisper. “That’s a promise, and I mean it.”

He searched my eyes, looking for something. For what, I didn’t know. I wanted him to lean closer to me, so I could feel even more of his warmth but then I pulled away, tucking my hands in my pockets. 

Kylo Ren hesitated for a moment, pausing as I moved to open the door. He moved his hand against the frame, blocking my exit.

“Ben,” he said, bowing his head slightly. 

“What?” I asked. 

“That’s my name,” he said, meeting my gaze. “I thought you should know. I trust you. I want you to know more about me.”

“Does…Phasma know? Does she know your name?” 

Kylo Ren—Ben—shook his head. “No, you would be the only one,” he said, keeping his eyes locked with mine. “Does that make you angry?”

“Not at all,” I said. “ _Ben_.”

“Please,” he said with a grin. “Call me Ben Solo.”


	11. The Labratory

Days went by and soon it had become a week since I had arrived at The Resistance. I was starting to become good friends with Padme and Jessika, along with Finn and Snaps. Hux however, still didn’t trust me. I could tell from the way he looked at me. I didn’t know what he suspected me of, or what he held against me. He seemed comfortable with me when we first met. 

I tried talking with Kylo Ren about him, about how he stared at me like he could tell what I was thinking, but I swallowed my feelings. It was almost as if Hux knew what I wanted to tell Kylo Ren. He would narrow his eyes at me whenever I thought about talking to Kylo Ren in private. 

Kylo Ren did help me create a schedule for the security detail, despite any protests Hux may have had. I would walk the perimeter of The Resistance twice a week, and then make rounds on the inside after curfew and during the early hours of the morning. 

One night, I was walking down one of the hallways, listening for any sound besides my footsteps. It was quiet. The torches that usually lit the main cavern that held the dining area had flickered out. The purple lights that hung over the mushroom garden buzzed quietly as I passed by. I stroked a red and white spotted mushroom with my pinky finger, freezing in place when I heard footsteps behind me. 

I turned, pointing, and aiming my gun at Hux’s forehead. He crossed his arms, holding a finger to his lips before talking into a microphone in his shirt sleeve.

“This is Hux. Prepare the footage for me when I make my return with the newbie.” 

“What are you doing here?” I asked, holstering my pistol. “I thought I was the only one making rounds tonight.”

“You are,” Hux said, taking out a flashlight. “Have you heard anything strange? Seen anyone walking around?”

“No,” I shrugged. “It’s just as quiet as it was last night, and the night before that.” 

“I find that odd you say that,” Hux answered, frowning. “Come with me.”

I looked back towards the hallway where Kylo Ren slept before walking beside him. Hux took long strides, almost as if he wanted to try and walk in front of me. He stopped in front of a door I had never seen before, one made of metal. He pulled a keycard from his pocket, showing it to me before swiping it across the card reader on the doorknob.

“ _Complete access granted for Armitage Hux,_ ” a computerized voice answered. 

The door swung open and Hux stepped in. I looked around outside before following him jumping when the door shut behind me. Different screens and computers were strung up on the wall around the room. Hux stood beside another man who sat at one of the computers typing. His skin looked transparent in the faint blue light, his eyes like camera lenses.

“Show her the footage,” Hux muttered to the man before turning his attention back to me. He crossed his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes at me.

I shifted in place before turning my attention the screen the other man was working on. I saw a video of myself, walking around the hallways. I didn’t know why he wanted me to watch this, I was walking the normal route, and he was the one who interrupted me. 

Across the screen, the camera shifted as a shadowy figure passed behind me in the dark. I didn’t stop walking; I didn’t notice! I blushed in embarrassment, turning back towards Hux. 

“I’m so sorry!” I cried. “I didn’t hear them behind me!”

“I knew I shouldn’t have given you a schedule!” Huxhissed. “You’re barely trained, and it’s obvious that Kylo Ren’s faith in you was misplaced! From this moment on you have been reassigned.  You will no longer walk night detail, instead, you will work during the daytime for two hours after you have finished training with Finn.”

“Don’t you think you are being a little harsh?” I asked. “It was a mistake. For all I know, that could be Kylo Ren sneaking around behind me.”

“This footage is from yesterday,” Hux said, gritting his teeth. He looked back at the man at the computer. “Show her the file from tonight.”

I looked back at the computer, watching as I passed in front of the fire pit. The same shadowy figure passed in front of the camera, right behind me, and I didn’t notice. A minute later, Hux stormed down the hallway straight towards me. 

How could I not have noticed them? I never heard anyone else’s footsteps beside my own, and I would have seen them moving in the dark. The main cavern was a wide-open space, even without the torchlight, I would have seen someone moving behind me. 

“That’s not possible,” I said, looking back at Hux. “I would have seen them! You’ve been in the main cavern yourself, you can’t say that you wouldn’t have seen them!” Hux rolled his eyes in response. I clenched my fists, moving towards him. 

“Something is going on,” I said. “You know it, I know it, and yet you don’t want me to be walking security detail. You’ve been waiting for a reason to dismiss me; I know you have!”

Hux rose from his seat, puffing out his chest. He glared at me, and I glared at him in return. A nasty snarl formed on his lips as his canines flashed in the darkness.

“Get out,” he hissed. “You’re lucky I don’t dismiss you from security detail entirely.” He leaned back against his seat, turning to look towards the computer.

I bit my tongue, silencing a scream that wanted to escape my throat. The exposed skin of my neck smoldered, a small flame flickering to life on my collarbone as I moved towards the steel door. 

 _“He’s only bitter because Kylo Ren isn’t on his side for once,”_ I thought. 

Hux looked back towards me, his eyes flashing with new anger. His hand flew to my cheek before I could stop the blow. I fell to the floor, coughing. 

“I wouldn’t test me if I were you, Kenobi,” Huxgrowled, looming over me. “You wouldn’t like the results, or what would happen to your face. Get out, now, before I lose my temper entirely!”

I spit ash out onto the floor, glaring at Hux as I turned away. Angry tears stung my eyes as the metal door slammed shut behind me. I knew I would have seen the figure moving behind me, I would have heard them too. How could they have slipped past me twice without noticing? 

I felt relieved once I was in my room, shutting the door of my room behind me. My bed had never looked more attractive than in that moment. I took off my shoes first, slipping out of the clothes I was wearing into a pair of comfortable gray pajama pants with a matching white top. 

I wiped my nose on my shirt sleeve, climbing beneath the blankets on my bed. Hux wasn’t worth any tears; neither was the stupid security detail. I curled up into a ball, shutting my eyes. I must have fallen asleep for an hour, maybe even two before I was jostled awake by a large explosion above me. Dust flew from the ceiling and into my hair, clouding my vision. I jumped from my bed, grabbing my pistol, and ran to the door, only to find it thrown open by Jessika. 

“Did you hear that?” she asked.

“I thought the government didn’t know where we are!” I cried, dashing barefoot into the hallway. The stone felt different, almost smooth against the skin of my feet.

“They aren’t supposed to!” Jessika answered, jogging beside me. 

I didn’t want to think the mysterious shadowed figure was behind the explosions, that the attack was my fault. I choked back a flood of bile in my throat, gagging slightly as a door beside me opened. Finn came from his room, an arm wrapped protectively around a crying Padme. 

“They found us!” she wailed. “What’s going to happen?”

“Nothing,” Finn said, comforting her. “Kylo Ren is going to handle this. He’s always saved us.”

I looked around the chaos of The Resistance for the thief, finding him heading towards the exit still in his pajamas. Phasma was nowhere in sight.

“This way!” I yelled, motioning for Finn, Padme, and Jessika to follow. 

Snaps came running from the dining area, covered in dirt and ash. “An entire chunk of the cave wall came crashing down on top of me,” he said. “We need to find the source of the explosion! Otherwise, the entire complex could collapse!”

Kylo Ren stopped by the entrance to bedrock cavern area he had taken me to previously and turned towards us. “I don’t know if they’ve found us,” he said. “They’ll figure it out eventually when the mountain collapses in on itself.”

“The situation is dire!” Hux cried, coming into the cavern from the main hallway. “The evacuation tunnels have collapsed in on themselves. If we are going to evacuate the entire population we need to do it through the main entrance, and now. Otherwise, we are sitting ducks.”

“The main entrance isn’t going to solve anything!” Jessika hissed. “If everyone floods The Resistance in that direction we could have a massacre if the cavern decides to collapse in on itself.”

“We can’t just let people die!” Padme interjected. “Jedi may be immune to a lot of things, but it won’t be easy to reform if I am buried under ten feet of debris!”

“We’ve got to do something!” I cried, wiggling my toes in the cold air.

“I know exactly what to do,” Hux said, pushing past me, moving to stand beside Kylo Ren. “I’ve been watching them for weeks. They’re too stupid to know what is underneath the surface. We obviously can’t let them find out, so we need a diversion.”

“We can use the mopeds!” Padme squeaked. 

“Is there a wall around the compound?” Kylo Ren asked. Hux nodded. Kylo Ren reached in his pocket and brought out two pairs of keys. “Here’s the plan,” he said. “Jessika, you’re with Snaps on the first bike. You’ll take a path around the wall distracting the guards for the other bike to get through. Padme, you’re with Finn on the second bike. You will need to get up onto the wall to draw attention away from what’s happening inside. You also need to distract the Storm Troopers long enough for Hux to get everyone else inside The Resistance into a safe area.” 

“What do I do?” I asked as the others left us alone, running off towards the exit. Hux glared at me before sprinting away, back into the Main Cavern.

“You’re with me,” Kylo Ren said leading me from the room. He dug through the pockets of his pajama pants, desperate to find something. “We’ll take the car.”

I followed him down a smaller hallway with two doors. Inside was a medium sized room with a large object sitting on a spinning platform. It was covered with a light blue colored tarp. Kylo Ren pulled the tarp off, revealing the machine underneath. It was shaped like a loaf of bread.

“What is a car?” I asked. “Is that a car?” I pointed to the machine on the platform, cautiously standing a few steps away.

“You’ve never heard of a car?” Kylo Ren asked, opening a door on the left. 

I jumped as a loud noise echoed through the room. Kylo Ren held up his keychain, showing me a button to turn on the machine. I looked warily towards the car and noticed a pair of bright white lights on the front. The surface of the machine was painted pitch black like the night. On the front of the car was a ram, with a twin on the backside. On the doors and wheels of the car were spiked, and different size and shapes of metal plating. 

I cocked my head to the side, wondering how I was supposed to get in until Kylo Ren opened the second door on the opposite side. Soft chairs made from a cotton-like material decorated the front and in the back sat a row of three seats. 

Kylo Ren put his hands on a wheel and the “car” pulled from the cave with a speed I was unfamiliar with. Kylo Ren smiled at me as I tried to grab onto a bar for support and he grabbed my hand. 

“Relax, Rey, speeding is what people do in cars,” he said.

“I have never seen anything like this before,” I said. “There isn’t anything like them in Jakku, even in the costlier areas of my sector.”

“Cars are only for the rich,” Kylo Ren said. “This is an old hunk of junk I stole from the Supreme Leader’s father. You should see the latest models. I’m not particularly fond of them because it’s hard to hold onto a wheel decorated with flashy buttons.” 

Kylo Ren turned around on the mountain trail, and we began to pick up more speed. I squeezed his hand when he turned again, causing the car to make an unfamiliar sound. I didn’t recognize where we had ended up, but I soon found a large wall in my vision. 

“Load your pistol Rey,” Kylo Ren said. “If we must shoot our way in, so be it.” 

I brought my pistol from its hiding place and looked out the window to see the entrance of the wall covered by a barred gate. 

“There’s a gate,” I said. “You should slow down or we’ll run into it.”

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Kylo Ren said, pressing his foot down onto the gas pedal, causing the engine to roar in response and the tires to squeal. 

A scream escaped my mouth as the gate edged closer and closer. At the moment of impact, I expected the car to be crushed, but the gate crashed down and the car rolled into the compound, flying over a group of Storm Troopers. 

Kylo Ren pulled to a stop and I leaped from the car opening fire, hitting one Storm Troopers in the arm. Bullets flew over my head and hit the metal of the car, scaring the exterior. I felt the heat creep back up my neck and I heard a shot before the Storm Troopers hit the ground, dead. 

Kylo Ren had come from the car, wearing the hood of his jacket over his head. He placed a pair of dark sunglasses over my eyes and motioned for me to follow him towards the main building of the compound. 

“Why the sunglasses?” I asked.

“To cover your eyes!” Kylo Ren shouted back to me. “The longer they don’t realize we’re Jedi, the better. It will give them an advantage.”

I leaped over a large stone, kicking a Storm Troopers in the face. “Not a lot of people around!” I commented, shooting him the head.

“Then the others are doing their job,” Kylo Ren replied, shooting another. 

Once the last Storm Troopers near me fell to the ground, I sprinted into the main building shouting orders at the scientists who were inside. 

“Everybody leave! No one gets hurt unless you lash out, now move it!”

The lobby cleared itself and I sat down at the main computer, searching for where the source of the explosion was coming from. The tile floor of the building was cold and hard, and my toes tingled as small vibrations beneath the surface echoed against the floor.

“Find anything?” Kylo Ren asked, shutting the doors of the building behind him. Through the glass of the door, I could see the remainder of Storm Troopers we left outside congregating to storm inside.

I sat at the front desk in the lobby, quickly exploring the computer the secretary had left behind. I clicked on the building’s blueprints and nodded. “They have a research area for weapons. According to the information on the screen, they have been testing new explosive devices. The room is located down in the lower section of the west wing. There are two entrances.”

“You take one, I’ll take the other,” Kylo Ren said, running off into the left stairwell. He looked back toward me for a moment before disappearing into the red light. I grabbed my pistol and shouldered open the door of the right stairwell. A red light flashed and a loud alarm screamed in my ears. A bullet ricocheted off the wall beside my head and I cocked my gun. I ducked and twirled as I dodged multiple shots. A piece of shrapnel hit my cheek, but I didn’t wince. I didn’t feel any pain as I looked into the eyes of the boy who fired at me. 

He couldn’t have been more than nineteen. He had skinny features, but somehow qualified for the Supreme Leader’s Storm Troopers recruitment school. His brown eyes glared through the shadowed darkness of my glasses and I fired my pistol at his shoulder, giving him a flesh wound. He cried out with pain, and I watched his gun fall down the stairs. 

I approached him carefully, pointing my gun at his forehead. “Get out of here,” I said. “I’m giving you a chance to live.” 

“Fire-breathing-cur, I will do anything for my Supreme Leader!” he answered.

Suddenly, he gained enough strength to tackle me against the hard stone walls. He grabbed for my pistol, but I wouldn't let him take it. I caught my hand on fire and placed it on his face, burning his eyes, nose, and mouth. He screeched with more pain than he did when I shot him in the shoulder and crumpled to the floor, unconscious. I retreated into the hallway.

Kylo Ren shouted to me from the opposite end of the corridor, dodging enemy fire. “Rey, find the cameras and shoot them!” 

I ducked behind a stockpile of crates and fired at the security cameras in the corners of the room. I took out four by the time I saw a moped ride by us on the security camera screen. Three armed scientists came from an office in the back of the room, distracting me as they fired at our heads. Kylo Ren shot one in the head and I rolled towards the middle of the room, seeing my chance to shut down the computerized explosion test. 

Bullets screamed over my head as my fingers flew over the keyboard. Kylo Ren shot the final scientist and joined me by the computer, looking around the area. A screen flashed in front of my eyes and I groaned. 

“We need a password,” I said. 

“Try _Luke_ ,” Kylo Ren said. “These compounds were built when he was Supreme Leader.”

My fingers flew over the keys and soon enough, all the lights in the laboratory shut down. The explosions that rocked the ground stopped and a sigh of relief escaped my lips. 

“We have to take the explosives!” I cried. “They’ll reactivate the program if we don’t stop them.”

“Good idea,” Kylo Ren said. Our heads turned at the sound of armor scraping against the floor. One of the Storm Troopers we had shot was crawling towards the door, trying to make their escape. Kylo Ren rolled his eyes as cocked his gun and moved towards the door, grabbing a the Troopers' arm. “You’ll be coming with us.”

The Storm Trooper tried to struggle as we escorted him down the hall to where explosives were located. Kylo Ren held his pistol to the Troopers' head as I gathered up the remaining grenades and bombs. 

“What were you preparing these for?” Kylo Ren asked. 

The Storm Trooper winced as the barrel was pressed into a bruised part of his head, but he didn’t say anything. I looked around the room for a briefcase we could possibly stuff the explosives into when another Storm Trooper appeared at the door. 

“Ben!” I screamed, warning Kylo Ren as he began to shoot at us. 

Kylo Ren pushed the injured Storm Troopers out of the way and began exchanging fire with the other. I jammed the rest of the explosives into the briefcase and fired a clean shot into the Storm Troopers' head. 

“Let’s move,” I said, bringing the injured Storm Trooper with me. “I have an idea. We need to get back to the lobby, quickly.”

Kylo Ren cleared the hallway and pushes open doors, clearing the lower level of any remaining Storm Troopers and scientists. The lobby lights flickered on and off and I set the briefcase down next to the main computer system. I held my hand underneath the briefcase, igniting the leather on fire. 

“Go!” I screamed. “Run! It’s going to blow!”

Kylo Ren pushed open the front doors, dragging the Storm Trooper out with him and we bolted towards the car. The building exploded behind us, and I felt the heat from the explosion brush against my neck. The Storm Trooper with us began struggling. 

“Let me go! I’m not worth anything to you! You’ll already have a larger price on your heads for destroying a government lab!”

“Shut up and get in the back of the car,” Kylo Ren hissed to him. “Say another word and Rey will shoot you again!” 

I pointed my gun at the Troopers' forehead as Kylo Ren sped from the compound, leaving behind nothing but rubble.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Once we arrived back at The Resistance, Kylo Ren's aunt stood at the exit, waiting for us with three other Jedi. She paced impatiently, wringing her hands together tightly as if they were laundry that needed to be dried. Her hands shook as her eyes met Kylo Ren’s as we came down the hallway.

“I see the plan was successful?” she asked. 

“Of course,” Kylo Ren said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We’re safe again, for now. Hopefully, we won’t experience another breach of our security for a while.” 

Hux came from the main hallway, nodding politely to the older woman before turning towards Kylo Ren. “We’ve successfully rounded up the stragglers. They are currently waiting for you in the Main Cavern for cleaning.”

“Stragglers?” I asked, turning towards Kylo Ren. 

“The scientists and other Storm Troopers left behind,” Kylo Ren said. “We can’t let them escape to Supreme Leader and tell him what happened. He would know that we were nearby. It’d be chaos.”

I followed Kylo Ren into the Main Cavern, ignoring the glares the Storm Trooper we had brought with us sent towards me. Halfway through the ride back I had gotten the idea to gag him.

The Main Cavern was filled with almost every Jedi in The Resistance. The tables used in the dining area were set up in a circle around the fire pit. There were at least ten, no fifteen-people kneeling on the floor. Each had their arms tied around their back, each prepared for slaughter.

“You’re going to kill them?!” I cried, grabbing onto Kylo Ren’s shirt. 

“We have to!” Hux hissed, pushing me away. “Or don’t you remember that because of you, we are in this mess! It was your stupidity that allowed two instances of breaches to occur!” 

“That’s enough!” Kylo Ren shouted over us. He sighed, turning back towards me. “Yes, Rey. We are going to kill them. We have no other choice.” 

“We have plenty of choices!” I protested. “Don’t get me wrong, I hate Anakin and every single one of his goons, but this isn’t the answer! By killing these scientists, we’d just be hypocrites! For all we know, they could be innocent!” 

“Innocence doesn’t matter when the government has been killing people for generations,” Hux said. He narrowed his eyes at me. “We’re at war, Rey. We’ve been at war with the government for years. You’re one of us now, so you better start acting like it.”

“Or what?” I asked, seething. A fire exploded on my head. “What are you going to do that you haven’t already done?” I moved closer to Hux, clenching my fists. _Are you going to hit me again? In front of Kylo Ren? Go ahead! Do it!_ “I dare you!” I said aloud. 

Hux gritted his teeth, an ugly snarl coming across his lips. Instead of hitting me he drew his gun, shooting the first “straggler” that knelt close to him in the head. The woman hit the ground, not having enough time to scream or cry out for mercy. 

His eyes darkened as he turned back to me. He challenged me. I didn’t say another word; I was going to be sick. I couldn’t look at Kylo Ren, even when his hand found its way onto my shoulder. 

Phasma had appeared, kneeling in front of two of the stragglers. She traced a finger down one man’s chin, purring like a cat. “If only things were different,” she said. The other Jedi around me shouted for blood, for justice. She pressed the barrel of her gun to the man’s head, pulling the trigger. 

Two, three, four more people died while I watched. Hux looked towards Kylo Ren when there were five people left. He was wondering if Kylo Ren wanted to kill anyone. My stomach churned, my vision spinning. 

Hux stopped Phasma when there was one straggler left. He held up his hands, silencing the crowd that had gathered around the blood bath. “We have gotten justice, for those murdered for years by the government!” he proclaimed. “We must always learn lessons from our mistakes! That is why I cannot kill this final man.” The crowd started to murmur at Hux’s statement. I shifted on my feet. I didn’t like where this was going. Something didn’t seem right. 

“I cannot kill him, and neither can Phasma!” Hux spoke. “There is one in our midst, a member of our caves who doesn’t understand our values. It is because of this person that we are saved, but it was also their actions that led to this attack.” 

My blood ran cold. He was talking about me. What was he going to do? What was he going to have me do? I froze in place, my hand instinctively reaching for my pistol. Kylo Ren grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze as he disarmed me. He leaned closer to me, his red eyes apologizing to me. 

“Reyna Kenobi!” Hux shouted, turning back to face me. He held out his gun, the eyes of everyone in the cavern falling on me. “It is an honor to perform this duty! Take a life, for the lives of your Jedi brethren! Take back justice!” 

Applause filled the cavern, chanting coming from the other Jedi. “Take back justice!” they shouted. “Take back justice!”

“This is for our ancestors!” Hux cried, rallying the crowd even more. 

The Resistance fell silent when I didn’t move forward, when I didn’t try to take the gun. Hux smirked, if I didn’t kill the man the others would. A quick painful death compared to the carnage and pain they would inflict. A lesser of two evils. He was making me choose. I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. 

I stepped forward, taking the gun. I moved in front of the last straggler, my gaze meeting his. Blood leaked from a cut on the side of his head, a purple bruise forming underneath his left eye.

“Please,” the man begged me in a quiet voice. “Please don’t hurt me. I have three children who need their father. Please!” 

My eyes stung with unshed tears as I raised the gun to his forehead. I pressed the barrel to his forehead, watching as he shut his eyes, waiting for it to be over. I turned away, prepared to pull the trigger when the Storm Trooper we had brought back to The Resistance with us started screaming. 

“You’ll all be sorry!” he yelled. “When Supreme Leader finds you, you’ll wish you were never born! Dirty scum! All of you!” 

The crowd parted as Kylo Ren's aunt made her way forward, storming towards the Storm Trooper. She grabbed him by the chin, narrowing her eyes as she looked him up and down. She stopped for a moment, her gaze focusing on his eyes. The Storm Trooper’s expression remained stoic as she cocked her head to the side. A fire burst into life across her arms and flickered out as quickly as it were born. 

“Rey,” the woman said, dropping the Storm Trooper back onto the floor. “Please escort the prisoner to his cell, please. I would like a moment alone with my _sobrino_. And do put on a pair of shoes, silly girl. These aren’t your private chambers.”

“What about the final straggler?” Hux asked. “He needs to be taken care of!”

The aunt of Kylo Ren turned her glare towards him and he silenced. The crowd began to disperse, not wanting to anger the older woman. I looked towards Kylo Ren who nodded, and I pressed my pistol into the Storm Trooper’s back. 

“Let’s move,” I said, walking past Hux. I could tell he wasn’t happy I didn’t go through with it. His eyes spit angry fire as he stalked from the cavern, back into the main hallway. 

I walked from the room, the other Jedi on the security schedule following me, their weapons trained at the Storm Trooper. Padme met me by the dining area, smiling, and in her hands she held a pair of boots. 

“I’m glad you didn’t go through with it,” she said. “I could tell you didn’t want to hurt him. I don’t always agree with what Hux and Kylo Ren institute, and this is one of those times. Are you sure you are okay? You look sick.” 

“I’m fine,” I said, giving her a thankful nod as I slipped the pair of boots onto my feet, keeping my eyes trained on the Trooper. “Don’t worry about me.” 

“Why do I need to stay here?” the Storm Trooper asked. “I was trying to do my job! Let me go, and I won’t run to the capitol. In fact, I’ll go the opposite direction!”

“Shut up,” I said, pushing the Storm Trooper forward. “I’m sorry Padme. I should put this guy away. We’ll talk later.” 

Padme nodded, glaring at the Storm Trooper before running off to where Jessika stood. I turned down Kylo Ren’s hallway, handing the Storm Trooper off to the other Jedi who were assigned to the designated cell area. 

“Good luck,” I muttered to them quickly, turning back towards the dining hall. “He’s got a big mouth, and a lot of speeches.” 

The heel of my boot kicked something in the hallway, and my eyes flew to a small bottle, filled with something red and orange like the lava everyone drank around The Resistance. The bottle was laid carefully beside Kylo Ren’s door with a small note attached to the lid that said: _drink me_. The flimsy lid had broken off the top, and the contents had spilled onto the floor.

I picked up the bottle, wondering why someone would leave a small bottle of lava as a gift. It wasn’t as if Kylo Ren didn’t have access to it. As I picked up the fragile bottle, the leftover liquid sizzled as it touched my skin, and I yelped with pain. The affected skin turned red and patchy. I trembled as I held my hand gingerly, examining the wound.

Suddenly, a gunshot echoed through the cave walls and I ran towards the source, leaving the broken bottle behind. The other cave dwellers came from their rooms wondering what had happened. 

“Someone shot her!” someone shouted. 

“Ren's aunt has been shot!”

I ran back to the Main Cavern, seeing Snaps and Jessika desperately trying to hold the older woman upwards as other Jedi ran around the area, looking for the shooter. Kylo Ren knelt by his aunt, trying to help her.

“She’s bleeding!” Jessika exclaimed. “How is that possible? Jedi can’t be harmed!” 

“We need to give her medical attention!” Snaps cried. “She’s losing blood!”

“Take her to her room,” Kylo Ren said. “There should be a first aid kit there.” 

I heard the shuffling of feet behind me and saw a rifle being aimed at Kylo Ren’s head. The long, silver barrel came from around the corner of the golden phoenix statue, a pair of black leather gloves reaching into my view to attach a suppressor. From the size of the barrel I could tell the rifle was small caliber, but still lethal. I couldn’t see the person at the other end of the weapon, just the pair of black leather gloves. 

The figure at the end of the rifle pulled the trigger, releasing a bullet aimed directly for Kylo Ren’s heart. Time seemed to slow down as I moved in a quick blur and jumped in front of him, my heart beating in my throat. 

The bullet ripped through my arm, drawing blood instead of ash. I almost vomited from the pain, my skin being eaten away from a chemical-like substance around the wound. I collapsed to the floor, clutching a hand over the blood. 

I looked back over towards the statue, seeing the barrel of the rifle get pulled away. A flash of pink light sparked from behind the statue before it was snuffed out, a small wisp of grey smoke the only thing left behind. I lost all feeling in my arm as my bloodied hand dropped to the cave floor, and everything faded to black.


	12. Hunting a Traitor

I bolted awake when I felt a painful burn start to spread across my skin. This wasn’t anything like the flames that healed me, protected me, these were poison. I screamed in pain as I felt blood begin to rush down the back my arm, and I looked around the room for Kylo Ren, my vision spotty. 

“Rey!” the thief cried, grabbing my arm, and putting his own hands on the wound. He looked away for a minute, grimacing. “I’ve never seen so much blood.”

“Don’t worry about me,” I groaned, putting my own hands over his. “Someone is behind the statue. They’re trying to kill you!”

“Security! Code Orange!” Kylo Ren yelled. “Get Hux in here, now!” The thief turned back to me, stroking my hair. 

“It was a small caliber,” I choked, swallowing back the bile the rose in my throat. “At least twenty-two point. It had a suppressor— “

I was interrupted by screams from the other cave dwellers and the alarm that began to go off in the hallway. Hux came from a different hallway; I couldn’t tell which one. From what I could remember I could have sworn he had gone back into the main corridor. 

“Clear each cavern, each room, each hallway,” Kylo Ren ordered, meeting Hux’s gaze. “I want this person found, and I want them brought to me, now!”

Hux moved his eyes over me for a moment before turning towards the rest of the security officers. “You heard him, let’s move!” I watched as he left back down the hallway to my right. I felt sick and turned away, hoping he hadn’t noticed my eyes following his movements.

“There’s no one over here!” Finn called from beside the phoenix statue, a loaded gun in his hands. “Whoever it was, they’re gone now.”

“We’ll let Hux deal with them,” Kylo Ren said, meeting my eyes. “For now, we need to get you to a doctor.”

“I know first aid,” Finn said. “We can take her to my room.”

Kylo Ren gingerly wrapped my injured arm around his neck and scooped my legs up in his arms. His red eyes searched mine, a worried look flashing across his face. His forehead wrinkled as he frowned, and I reached out to touch the creased line. I winced and pulled back, realizing I lifted my injured arm.

“Clear the way! Out of the way,” Finn said, pushing the other cave dwellers to the side. I was surprised that so many had still decided to stay out in the open.

“Why would you do that?” Kylo Ren asked.

“You wouldn’t have been able to recover from it,” I croaked. “Once I’m stitched up and have a few cups of lava, I’ll be okay. That gun was aimed towards your heart.” 

“Did you see whoever it was that tried to shoot me?” 

I shook my head, biting my tongue as another wave of pain passed over me. “I only saw the barrel of a shotgun. I knew what they were trying to do, so I jumped in front of you. I guess I was lucky they had terrible aim.”

“Rey, what if they had hit you somewhere lethal? You could have died!”

“Ben, I’ll be fine once I receive medical attention.”

Finn flung open the door of his room and Kylo Ren set me down on Finn’s bed. Finn brought a bleach white box out from under his bed and opened a creaky, rusted lid.

“Does it hurt?” Finn asked. 

I nodded, grimacing as he put on a pair of rubber gloves before hesitantly rolling up the sleeve of my shirt. The wound felt as if a horrible monster with large teeth was chewing on the flesh. Blood leaked through the bullet hole on my arm, dripping down my arm. Finn felt around the wound as gently as he could. He stopped when I cried out in pain, pulling my arm away.

“It burns,” I sobbed into Kylo Ren’s arm. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re lucky,” Finn said. “If the bullet hit you an inch and a half to the right, it would have pierced your brachial artery. You have lost a lot of blood, but not enough to kill you.” Finn took a pair of tweezers, hesitating a moment before pulling the first piece of bullet from my arm. I leaned my head back against Kylo Ren’s arm, swallowing a wave of nausea. 

“From the amount of pain you are experiencing around the wound, I would say the bullet pierced bone,” Finn said, examining the fragment. “You’ll be fine, the Jedi gene should mend it up in a matter of time. I’d say it will only feel tight for the next few days.” 

“These bullets are different,” Kylo Ren said. “Bullets have never affected us before. Why here? Why now? Why my aunt? Why Rey?” 

Finn bowed his head, shrugging. “I wouldn’t know,” he said. “There’s another fragment remaining in her skin.”

I held my breath as Finn brought the tweezers closer to my wound before pulling the second piece of burning of lead from my skin. I squeezed Kylo Ren’s hand as Finn stitched up the wound and wrapped a bandage around my arm. 

“Is that blood on the bullet?” Kylo Ren asked.

Finn shrugged and handed him the fragments, placing the first aid kit back under his bed. “I’ll go see how your Aunt is doing, and offer any help I can,” he said. 

“Thank you,” Kylo Ren said, looking over the bullet in his palm.

Finn met my eyes for a moment before walking from the room, shutting the door behind him. I moved forward on the bed, leaning closer to Kylo Ren. 

“Did you figure out what it could be?” I asked.

“No,” Kylo Ren said, sitting beside me. “It looks like something; I just don’t know what.” I wet my lips and held out my left hand, showing him the burned mark I earned from picking up the strange bottle. “What happened?” Kylo Ren asked, taking my hand.

“I was taking the prisoner to your Aunt’s room when I noticed a bottle of a reddish liquid sitting by your door. It looked like lava so I didn’t understand why someone would leave it outside your room. I picked it up to give it to you later but the bottle broke. Whatever was inside burned me.” 

“It looks like the bullets are coated with this gunk,” Kylo Ren said. 

“There is only one place someone could create poison like this,” I said. “A Bellonian research lab.”

“The government would have to test it though,” Kylo Ren said. “Where would they find enough Jedi to see if it would work?” 

Before I could answer Jessika pushed open the door, a few tears dotting her cheeks. “You should hurry,” she croaked. “There’s not much time.” 

Kylo Ren met my gaze before running out the door. I followed him, stuffing the bullet fragment into my pocket. Now that it had been removed from my arm, a small fire sprouted onto my marred skin, healing me. A few of the other cave dwellers sat outside of the hallway, their heads turned to the floor.

I had never been in his aunt’s room, but it was much larger than Kylo Ren’s. Candelabras decorated most of the space, giving the chamber an amber glow. There was a large, crimson colored rug by the door, with different chairs to lounge in. Finn stood with Snaps by the bed. Kylo Ren approached them quietly before he knelt by his aunt’s head and grabbed her hand.

“She’s been shot in the chest,” Finn said. “She’s lost too much blood. I’m afraid there’s nothing anyone can do to help her. Even the Jedi gene can’t save her now. It’s too late.”

“I’m sorry,” Kylo Ren said, choking on his own tears.

“There is nothing for you to be sorry for,” his aunt weakly replied. “I do need to admit something before I go.”

“Tía Ahsoka—” 

“No,” the dying woman wheezed. “I want to do it.” She began to sit up in her bed, coughing and sputtering. “Where is Rey?” she asked. 

“I’m right here,” I said, moving over to Kylo Ren’s side. 

“They tell me you took a bullet for Ben,” the older woman croaked, wincing as she tried to rise from her position in bed.

“I did. Please, lie down.” I replied, trying to encourage her to move back to her previous position.

The woman, who Ben had called Ahsoka, glared at me for a moment before returning her head gently to the pillows of her bed. “If you do not mind,” she said. “I would like to speak with my sobrino and Rey alone.”

Finn and Snaps left the room, muttering condolences to Kylo Ren and shut the door behind them. The woman coughed and placed her hand on my shoulder, causing me to flinch.

“What I must tell the both of you is important,” she said. “This is a secret I have kept for many years. It has haunted me ever since the day I learned it and I am now at peace, knowing it can haunt me no more.”

“What is the secret, Tía?” Kylo Ren asked, squeezing her hand.

“The night Supreme Leader LukeSkywalker was killed, I was there.”

Kylo Ren frowned and shifted in his place. There was something he didn’t like about what his Aunt had to say.

“Did you see what happened?” I asked. 

The dying woman bowed her head. “It was a simple job. Ben was ill, something he had eaten if I remember correctly. It’s very rare for Jedi to become sick, so I offered to go on a job in your place.”

“If I remember correctly,” Kylo Ren said, a smile coming across his lips. “You didn’t give me a choice either way. You were going to go whether I agreed to it or not.”

Kylo Ren's aunt kissed his fingers. “I went to the palace dressed as a maid. You see, the Empress had just given birth. It was common knowledge that they were hiring a new staff, for what reason I cannot remember. I slipped into the palace with the group that was going to be interviewed and found my way away from the group.” The woman hesitated before she continued. “I was walking down a hallway, trying to find the library when I heard screaming. It was quiet after a moment until there wasn’t any other sound but the cry of a babe. That must have been when it happened. When the Supreme Leader and his wife were murdered along with their baby.”

“They tell us in school that Supreme Leader Luke was killed by a fire,” I said. “It was an accident.” 

“Wrong! All wrong!” The woman suddenly wailed, trying to sit up. 

“Tía, please rest,” Kylo Ren cooed, firmly placing his hand on her shoulder. 

The older woman ignored him and grabbed the collar of my shirt. Her breaths wheezed in and out as she looked at me, angry. “They tell you lies!” she hissed. “It wasn’t an accident! Just like my sobrino getting shot at wasn’t an accident! You taking a bullet for him was not an accident!” 

“Tía,” Kylo Ren started.

“I was only trying to help,” I said, glaring at her. “You had been shot. I was trying to protect him--”

Kylo Ren's aunt struck me on the cheek, but I didn’t feel any pain. Her amber eyes screamed at me and I shrunk backward towards the door. 

“ _Chica tonta! ¡Cómo te atreves a dudar mí! ¡Yo he trabajado muy duro proteger a mi sobrino!”_ The old woman continued to yell at me in the strange language and I sat there, frightened and confused. 

Kylo Ren stepped in between me and his Aunt, and began arguing with her in the strange language. “ _¡Tía, por favor para! ¡La amo!_ ”

The woman suddenly stopped and began coughing violently. She laid back against her pillows and groaned, shutting her eyes. “You are quite an inquisitive girl, aren’t you, Rey?”  

“I’m sorry?” I asked, glancing towards Kylo Ren.

“When you first arrived here, you proved to be as my sister, Ben’s mother, would have put it; _una problema._ Of course, I’m not the least bit surprised. You’re just like her. _”_

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Neither of you don’t know when to…how do you say it in English…admit you are wrong!  I grew up in what used to be Spain, and then moved to the United States when I turned eighteen. My sister, Leia, came with me. She met Ben’s father and caused all kinds of problems with his family. I don’t think Ben ever met his grandparents until the funeral for them both.” 

“I’ve never heard that language you were speaking before,” I said. “What is it?”

“It is Spanish! _Oh, dios mío_!” the woman cried, becoming angry. She began to mutter to herself in the foreign tongue, which I guessed were things about me. 

“It was a language that was used by a lot of people in the old country,” Kylo Ren said. “It is more common in Europe today.” 

“Oh.” Kylo Ren took my hand in his free hand, giving it a squeeze. I blushed.

“You are no good for him!” the woman interrupted, waving her hand in between us. “Did you know that before you came here, he would stay out for days watching you?” 

“Tía!” Kylo Ren complained.

“No, Ben!” the woman cried. “Don’t you dare protest against me! She needs to hear this!”

“Yes,” I said. “I did know that he was following me. He was just trying to help, and now I want to help him in return.” 

“You want to know who said the exact same thing to me?”

“Tía _please,”_ Kylo Ren sighed, rolling his eyes. “You need your rest.”

“Phasma,” she said, ignoring him. “She said the exact same thing to me when Ben first brought her here. I never trusted the girl, and if you are smart, you won’t either. When Ben brought her to meet me, I laughed. She seemed so... _astuta.”_

“What does that mean?” I asked Kylo Ren.

“She said she seemed crafty,” he whispered.

“Ben,” the dying woman said, softly, reaching out to cup Kylo Ren’s cheek. “There is something you need to know...about your father.”

“What is it Tía?” Kylo Ren asked. 

The woman wheezed again, her eyes beginning to flutter shut. “It was all a mistake. Everything he did. Project Phoenix, was a mistake. Before your father died, he left behind a formula…a venomous poison that could kill a test subject if the gene did take hold of their body. This venom did not survive the war, but...his file...did—” 

Kylo Ren's aunt began gasping and coughing violently. Kylo Ren called out to her, begging her to remain with him. I knew what would happen next too well. It was the same look I saw in the eyes of the people in my sector, of the homeless and the innocent people lead to slaughter. It was a look of death. 

The woman's head flew forward before the rest of her body went limp, and her eyes left a blank stare in my direction. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The next morning, I didn’t go out with Kylo Ren. I didn’t follow my schedule. I sat in my bed with my pistol in my hand, picturing all the faces I had seen the day before: the young Storm Troopers, the other cave dwellers, the aunt of Kylo Ren's deathly face.

I caught my hand on fire, observing the flame and how hot it felt against my skin. Ever since I had arrived at The Resistance I had noticed that the fire had begun to change things about my appearance. My hair had grown longer and darker, my eyes had turned a startling blood red, and my cheeks glowed a light pink color in the cave light. My skin was now smooth without a blemish of acne or pimples, and I had been gaining healthy weight. 

My injured arm ached from the gunshot the day before, my fingers subconsciously stroking the bandages around the wound. My skin tingled as I thought of the chaos, the terror, how easily order could be thrown aside with a single bullet. 

I held a palm to my cheek as the memory of the gun barrel caused a flame to flicker to life on my skin. Anyone had the opportunity in the chaos to grab a gun and hide behind the statue, waiting for Kylo Ren or his aunt to stand in the perfect line of sight. They could easily slip away afterward, unnoticed into the panicked crowd of the other cave dwellers. 

I rose quickly from my bed, deciding I would get dressed to see what I could figure out on my own. I planted my pistol in its usual hiding place in my jeans and walked around the quiet, early morning halls of the cave. Nobody else had decided to stir from their bedrooms, the only sound I heard was my own hollow footsteps against the cave floor.

Droplets of blood decorated the floors of the cave, leading towards Kylo Ren’s hallway. The crimson splotches caused my hand to reach up and subconsciously touch the bandages that stretched across my skin. 

I passed the door of the room where the Storm Trooper was kept. I froze in place before turning back and pushing open the door, my eyes glaring at the Storm Trooper inside as he cast his gaze towards me. He sat in the makeshift cell made of jagged rocks a few earth-talents had put together. The door to the cell was made of iron, with different shaped holes decorating the metal. 

“Do you realize what you have done?” I asked, stepping forward into the light. 

“I haven’t done anything,” he answered. “I’m just being held against my will.”

“You killed an innocent woman,” I said, leaning up against the door. “I knew that Storm Troopers were cruel, but I didn’t want to believe that you would kill someone just for your own sick enjoyment.” 

“I didn’t kill anyone!” the Storm Trooper protested. “You’re the ones who are killing people! I’ve been in this cell ever since you escorted me here yesterday, I haven’t done anything besides ask for my freedom.” 

I caught my hand on fire and grabbed his arm, squeezing it tightly. “I’m going to give you one last chance to fess up,” I said. “Did you shoot that woman when you were trying to kill Kylo Ren?” 

“No,” the Storm Troopers said, struggling to pull his arm back. “Why don’t you ask the dim-witted guards that were on duty while she was shot? They will tell you I was in this cage, _protesting_.” 

I glared at him, trying to think to reason to burn him. I couldn’t do it; I couldn’t become cruel and selfish like him. I slackened my grip and allowed his arm to fall back to his side. 

“You can’t do it,” the Trooper said. “That’s too bad. I would have thought a fire talent like you would have taken the chance to get revenge against a guy like me.”

“I’m not like most people,” I said, turning away from him. “I have a conscience.” 

“Well whatever you have,” the Storm Trooper spoke. “I’d learn to ignore it.” He paused. I watched as the wheels in his head began to turn. He was hiding something, but what was it? The Storm Trooper turned back to me, a smile on his lips. “You’ll need your conscience soon. Once the Supreme Leader figures out where you are, you won’t have time to think about your actions.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, my focus shifted. The Storm Trooper's smile widened as he noticed my discomfort. He sat up in his cell, the smile stretching across his lips.

“That’s right,” he said. “One of your own in your precious Jedi family has decided to help the capitol find you. They sent in a tip to Supreme Leader, telling him that a considerable number of traitors to the crown are living in an underground cave system. Naturally, the Supreme Leader would retaliate by doing a search.”

“That’s what the drones were for,” I said, putting the pieces together. “You weren’t looking for gold mines at all!” 

The Storm Trooper gave me a wicked grin. “The public can be tricked so easily these days. It’s a pity really. You’d think at least some of you would grow up to have the tiniest amount of intelligence.”

I flung open the door, leaving the captured Trooper behind the cackle to himself. The other cave dwellers had begun to stir while I was in the room with him. I ran down the hallway, finding myself looking back towards Kylo Ren’s hallway. I had to warn Ben. I had to tell him so that he could evacuate the innocent families and their children that lived here. 

I bumped into someone and stumbled backward. Hux glared at me, rolling his eyes. “What are you doing, Kenobi?”

“Hux!” I cried, pulling him by the sleeve as I started to run back towards the Main Cavern. “We have to do something! People are going to die! They’re going to be arrested! We can’t let that happen!”

Hux pulled his arm away, slamming me against the wall. “Slow down!” he ordered, narrowing his eyes. “Tell me what you just said, slowly.” 

I took a breath, meeting his eyes. “We’ve been compromised. The whole compound, not just a section. The entire system is in danger. The drones that have been flying around the provinces the past few weeks, they aren't looking for gold! They’re looking for us! There is a mole here. Someone who lives here is working for the Supreme Leader! We have to do something!” 

I waited, waited for Hux to get angry. I remembered how passionate he was when I had first met him, how adamant he was that something was going on that Kylo Ren nor anyone else could understand. Instead, he remained still and picked underneath his fingernails.

“Do you have proof of this mole?” he asked. 

“The Storm Trooper said—!”

“Besides the word of a prisoner, do you have any proof?”

“Well…no,” I said. 

Hux shrugged. “Then I’m afraid I can’t do anything.” 

He walked away, back into the Main Cavern. I stood in disbelief before processing completely what he had said and chased after him. I pushed aside a few chairs, desperate to catch up with him.

“Hux please!” I cried, drawing the attention of a few earth-talents. I grabbed his arm, turning his attention back to me. “Please Hux! I know I’m right about this!”

Hux tugged his arm back away from me, making his way towards the table where Kylo Ren sat with Snaps, Jessika, Padme, and Finn. Kylo Ren raised an eyebrow as I ignored my seat and blocked Hux from sitting in his usual place. 

“Get out of my way!” Hux growled. 

“Not until you listen to me!” I hissed, pushing him. 

“Woah!” Kylo Ren said, standing up and getting between us. He met my gaze before looking towards Hux whose eyes glared angrily at me. “What is going on between the two of you? Rey,” I looked to Kylo Ren. “You usually eat the moment food is put in front of you. And Hux,” Hux met Kylo Ren’s gaze as well. “You’re quiet this morning, too quiet.” 

“It’s her fault!” Hux cried, pointing at me. “She disturbed me while I was on my usual rounds. Bumped into me out of nowhere. She came out of the prisoner’s room. I don’t know what she was doing in there, but I don’t like it.” 

I narrowed my eyes. “Your ignorance is going to get everyone in these caves arrested and killed.”

“Hold on!” Kylo Ren shouted over us. “Rey, what are you talking about?”

“The Storm Trooper we have kept prisoner,” I said. “He told me about the drones.”

Kylo Ren frowned. “What about them?”

“They’re the reason for your aunt’s death,” I replied. “Not only was Supreme Leader having his compound labs test new weapons, he was having them search for an underground dwelling full of Jedi. Someone here tipped them off! That’s how they knew where to use the explosives!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed I was starting to draw a crowd. Kylo Ren and Hux seemed to remain calm. I shifted in place before regaining my composure. I wasn't going to back down. Not with so many lives on the line. 

“Are you sure this is true?” Hux asked, looking to Kylo Ren. “We need proof of this claim so we don’t cause a mass panic. She has no proof of any mole, how are we supposed to know that her claims are credible?” 

“It all makes sense!” I bit back. “If you stopped worrying about how people felt and started thinking about how to fix the problem we now have, we might be able to get more things done.” I stepped towards Hux, shoving Kylo Ren aside. “What happened, Hux? When I met you, you were positive something was going on. Now, when I come to you with evidence that something _is_ happening, you want to shut me up? I don’t understand.” 

Hux rolled his eyes. “Rey, you are still new here, so you don’t really have enough power to say anything. Once you have been living here for at least, three years, get back to me.”

“Ben,” I said, glaring at Hux. “You have to think about it. Something is going on; someone has betrayed everyone here. Please, listen to me!”

“No, he doesn’t,” Hux said, shoving me away. “How heartless are you? His Aunt just passed away and all you can think about are the lies of a prisoner. I don’t think you care about anyone in these caves at all,” Hux moved closer to me, close enough that I could feel his breath on my skin. I felt my brain pulse as he entered my mind. “ _I think all you care about, is how to save yourself, you filthy dirty-blood.”_

I swung my palm, hitting Huxin the jaw causing him to stumble backward. He crashed against a few tables causing something to fall from his jacket pocket. 

“Rey!” Kylo Ren cried, stepping between us. “The last thing I need right now is for you to get into a fight with my head of security!” 

“I’m only trying to tell you something important—” 

My gaze fell upon the bottle once it touched my shoe. I recognized the flaming toxin once the liquid began to sizzle and cut a hole in the cave rock.

“Ben,” I whispered, pointing towards the floor. 

Kylo Ren’s gaze went to the poison and then to Hux who stood in a protective stance. 

“What is it?” Hux asked.

I clenched my fists, feeling my hands catch on fire. The sound of different feet shifting behind me caused me to realize we had an audience. Jessika and Padme appeared at my side, along with Snaps and Finn. Phasma came from the crowd, moving to stand beside Kylo Ren. 

Kylo Ren shifted on his feet before moving closer to me. “We aren’t doing this here,” he said. “Not with this many people.”

Kylo Ren motioned for Finn and Snaps to step forward. They grabbed Hux by his arms, taking him out of the Main Cavern and down the hallway. I didn’t recognize the room I followed them into, I just knew I had to convince Kylo Ren I was right. 

Padme shut the door behind him, crossing her arms as Hux pushed Snaps and Finn away. Kylo Ren ran a hand through his hair, pacing. 

“Tell me again,” he said to me. “Start from the beginning.” 

I took a deep breath, meeting his gaze. Phasma grabbed his arm, leaning her head against his shoulder. I swallowed the bile that rose in my throat, ignoring her. What I had to tell him was more important that my discomfort with her.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I got dressed and started walking a section of my usual rounds. I found drops of my own blood on the floor, and I followed them to your hallway. I passed by the door of the room that holds the prisoner and I went in.”

“Why?” Kylo Ren asked.

“I wanted to see if he could have escaped,” I said. “I wanted to see if he was the one who hurt your aunt; if he was the one that tried to hurt you! I was wrong, obviously. When I accused him, he laughed. He told me that there is a mole here in The Resistance, giving Supreme Leader Anakin information. He said that it was only a matter of time before the drones found us, and everyone here was arrested.”

“That was when you left the Storm Trooper and found Hux,” Kylo Ren said. He turned towards Hux, who continued to glare at me. “Why are you dismissing her so quickly? That Trooper worked in the laboratory above us. He could have heard something. He could have heard the truth about the drones.”

“She doesn’t have any other proof besides his word!” Hux cried. “How am I supposed to know that he isn’t trying to pit us against each other so he can escape? I’m not taking any chances. It was her fault before that we were compromised and it is going to be her fault again if you choose to listen to her. I hate to even suggest it, but I believe that Rey may need help that we can’t offer her. Sending her to an asylum that could help her with her hallucinations might do her some good—” 

“I’m not lying!” I screamed, pulling my hair. “I’m not going crazy either!”

“Enough!” Kylo Ren shouted. He glared at me before glaring at Hux. “Rey, Hux is right. We need more proof that there is a mole here than just the word of a captured Storm Trooper.” 

“But—!” 

“I’m not going to argue with you,” Kylo Ren interrupted me. “There is no evidence that there is a mole, nor is there any evidence that says Hux is the one who has been leaking information.” Kylo Ren put a hand on my shoulder, cupping my cheek with his other hand. “I’m sorry,” he said, lowering his voice. “There’s nothing we can do right now.” 

“That’s not true,” Jessika said, stepping forward. She stuffed her hand inside her jacket, pulling a piece of metal from her pocket. She tapped on the screen, turning on the tablet. “I’ve been monitoring the security footage of all the hallways and rooms closely ever since Hux first suspected that something was going on.” Jessika motioned for Kylo Ren and everyone to come around her. 

I squinted trying to watch the footage she was playing on the small tablet screen. The time stamp read minutes before Kylo Ren's aunt had been attacked. I tried to find myself on the screen, but the hallway remained empty until the camera captured Hux walking down the hallway. He held a small caliber rifle, fixed with a suppressor. I watched as he loaded two bullets into the chamber, and then walked out into the Main Cavern. 

Jessika turned off her tablet, the room remaining silent as everyone turned to look at Hux. I clenched my fists, feeling heat travel up my neck to my head. My hair burst into flames as I stalked towards the traitor.

“Hux  _is_ the conspirator!” I shouted. “He began working with the government so that we would be found, and they would kill us all! He knows that there is a high price for Kylo Ren’s head, and he would be rewarded greatly for turning everyone here into Supreme Leader!”

Padme glared at him, her body lighting up like a flashlight as she unsheathed a knife that hung on her belt. Finn moved beside her, cracking his knuckles. Jessika skin changed back and forth until it settled in its normal state. Snaps burst into flames and stood by me, the heat from his body igniting mine.

“You traitor!” Phasma cried, pink smoke coming from her hands. She stood behind Kylo Ren, her eyes flashing with anger.

“I didn’t do anything!” Hux cried. “Rey is only trying to gain Kylo Ren’s attention! She is the one trying to turn people against each other!” 

“Rey is only looking out for him!” Padme cried. “If anyone is trying to pit us against another person, it is you! You’re the one trying to turn us against Rey!” 

My eyes moved towards Kylo Ren who only stood beside me in shock. His eyes were downcast and displayed hurt, but his face was hard with anger. Phasma tried to grab his hand, but he yanked it away. I approached him carefully, lifting my hand to brush against his. He didn’t pull away.

“Ben,” I said, lowering my voice. “ _You can trust me._ ” 

Kylo Ren remained silent, taking my hand in his. His red eyes met my own, searching for something. After a few moments, he spoke. “Hux, is this true?” he asked. 

“No, of course not!” Hux protested. “That isn’t me! I swear! Ask the others on security detail! I was with them when your aunt was shot! I couldn’t have been the shooter! Why would I try to shoot you? I have no reason to want you dead!”

“Liar!” Phasma hissed, jabbing her finger out at him. She dug through the pockets of her top before pulling out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded the page, turning it around for Kylo Ren to see. 

It was a wanted poster, with a rough sketch of Kylo Ren’s face along with a rendering of his tattoo. Underneath the sketch was an amount of money that a poor family could live off for five years, maybe even more.

I ground my teeth as Snaps snatched the flyer away. The paper went up in flames, falling to ashes on the floor. Snaps opened his mouth, wanting to say something to Hux but he couldn’t. He backed away, shaking his head.

“That reward was offered for Kylo Ren just before I returned from my shopping trip,” Phasma said. “As head of security, you would know about everything that happens outside of The Resistance. I’ve been told by many of my friends that work security detail that you often ask them to monitor province newspapers for reward advertisements.” 

Padme and Jessika gasped in tandem. Jessika turned a bright shade of red, her body fluctuating back and forth from metal to skin. Padme looked as if she were going to cry and punch Hux at the same time, the yellow lights on her body turning an angry red. 

“Is that true?” Kylo Ren asked, glaring at Hux. “Do you really ask people to monitor reward postings for my capture?”

“Yes,” Hux said, rolling his eyes. “But I don’t do it for the money! I only request copies of the ads so I can tell Jessika what activity to specifically monitor!”

“ _Don’t_ lie to me!” Kylo Ren yelled, a flame sparking to life on his left ear. “Rey, you point your gun at his head and if he makes a run for it, you shoot him.” 

I pulled out my pistol and aimed at Hux’s head, my finger ready to squeeze the trigger. Kylo Ren paced around the room, fidgeting with his hands, running his fingers roughly through his hair.

“I brought you here, became your friend, and this is how you repay me?” Kylo Ren asked, his voice trembling, angry tears gathering in his eyes.

“I wasn’t doing anything for the reward money, I swear!” Hux cried. “I’m innocent! Someone is trying to frame me!”

“Liar!” Kylo Ren shouted. “You travel outside The Resistance more than anyone, including me! You had to know about the reward!” Kylo Ren raced forward, grabbing Hux by the collar of his shirt and slamming him up against the cave wall. “Why did you do it?!” he screamed. “Why did you shoot my Tía?!” 

Blood ran down the side of Hux’ face as desperation grew in his eyes. I holstered my pistol, leaping at Hux as he pushed Kylo Ren away, running towards the door. I tackled him, going through the wall and rolling onto the floor of the Main Cavern. The other cave dwellers around us formed a circle, whispering, muttering, shouting, trying to figure out what was going on. 

Hux put his hands around my throat, trying to choke me. I slammed my head against his, knocking him backward. Kylo Ren and the others raced out in the open, ready to fight. 

A battle cry came from Padme as she raised her hands in the air, generating a ball of blinding light. The wispy flame flew straight towards Hux, hitting him in the gut. He landed in a crowd of the other cave dwellers. 

“Get him!” Finn shouted. “Before he gets away!”

I redrew my gun, trying to find my target when the crowd that had gathered around Hux started to attack him, and I lost my view of his head. I tried to push around them but there was no use for it. The angry crowd moved around him, closer and closer when suddenly Hux burst into a bright yellow flame. The light in the cave became a sickly green color until the yellow flame dissipated, and he was gone.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The search for Hux lasted days with no results, outside the cave or on the inside. Kylo Ren didn’t help with the search; he refused. Jessika told me he had retired to his room. 

Phasma came and went from Kylo Ren’s room hourly, reassuring everyone her “ _Honey Melon”_ was recuperating fine and he wished to not be disturbed. 

I helped Padme and Finn search around the exit, but we found nothing. None of the exits had been disturbed, none of the other entrances had been used. 

Some of the other Jedi on security detail were given the keys to the helicopter and flew out into the sky, scouring the area around The Resistance for the deceiver. No clues were found to Hux’s whereabouts. 

Two weeks passed. Kylo Ren hadn’t come from his room, not for breakfast, lunch or dinner. He started to ignore Phasma, and even Finn. The ambiance in The Resistance turned somber and gray. No one knew what to do.

 I had enough of Kylo Ren’s silence, and I went and knocked on his door. I knew he wasn’t taking the events of the past two weeks too well, but Padme wanted me to check and see if he was okay. From the little conversation Phasma managed to have with him, she told everyone that he refused to eat or sleep. 

“Ben?” I asked, knocking on the door gently. “Are you in there? It’s me, Rey.” 

A second later Kylo Ren opened the door and handed me a flashlight. “Let’s go,” he said, pushing past me without a single glance thrown my way.

“Where? Why? Everyone is worried sick about you!” 

“The last place I want to be right now is here!” Kylo Ren snapped. He closed his eyes and took a breath before continuing. “Are you going to come with me or not?” 

I followed him from the Main Cavern to the exit, where he pulled a torch from the wall, opening a dark, secret passageway. I turned on my flashlight, and followed him into the shadows, watching the stone door close behind us. The passage smelled musty and the sound of trickling water echoed in my ears.

“Are you okay?” I asked. 

“My best friend betrayed me, and the only family I had left died because of him,” Kylo Ren said. “I’m not _okay_.” 

“You don’t have to get angry with me about it,” I said, glaring at him. 

Kylo Ren sighed, and he paused in his place. “You’re right,” he said. “I’m sorry Rey. I don’t mean to take it out on you. Hux has been with me here in The Resistance for a long time! He was one of the first people I brought here. Knowing that he went to the government and set up a plan to have me turned in for money, it makes me sick! I can’t believe that he would turn against me.” 

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know you cared about him.” 

“Well they aren’t going to find him,” Kylo Ren said, beginning to walk again. “Not where they’re looking anyway.” 

“You know where he went?” 

Kylo Ren nodded. “As Jedi, we can turn into ashes and not reform,” Kylo Ren said. “I figured out how it was done a long time ago, and I told Hux because he wasn’t coping well with the concept of living forever. He missed his family. He even had someone who loved him. I told him how to do it and he didn't act so depressed anymore. Knowing a way out, it gave him relief.” 

I felt Kylo Ren’s hand grab mine and I felt his red eyes stare at me in the dark. My fingers tingled as they brushed against his palm. “We’re here,” he said, a slight tremble in his voice. “My vault.” 

“You have a vault?” 

“Of course I do,” Kylo Ren said. “A thief needs a place to store the items he treasures most.” 

Kylo Ren moved my hand towards a switch and I felt my fingers brush across something smooth. A computer beeped in the dark, and a green light moved slowly across my palm. 

“This is a fingerprinting device,” Kylo Ren said. “I stole one from a factory in the capital and installed it here. The computer will recognize your fingerprints and open the door.” 

A loud creak opened a latch in front of us, and the fake wall swung open revealing a room filled with treasure. There were weapons, cloth, statues, paintings; anything that was worth millions of dollars was in this vault. A glittering sculpture of a woman wearing a golden crown made from diamonds stood in front of me. 

My reflection looked distorted in the crystal, but the glittering gem drew me in closer and I admired myself for what seemed like the first time. The girl who stared back at me looked healthier and beautiful. Her eyes glowed with confidence and her cheeks were touched with a light pink. 

“Do you like it?” Kylo Ren asked, placing his hands on my shoulders. He rested his chin comfortably, on the top of my head, smiling at me through the reflection of the crystal. 

“It’s beautiful,” I said. “I know you stole it from someone, but who?”

“Funny,” Kylo Ren replied. “I don’t remember!” He laughed, wiping a tear from his eye as he walked towards a credenza that sat across from the statue. He pulled a jewelry box from the top, showing me its contents. 

“Earrings?” I asked. 

“Want to try them?” he asked. 

“Thank you, but no,” I said, reaching up to touch my ears. “I wouldn’t want to break them. They look so fragile.” 

“What about this?” Kylo Ren asked, draping a piece of fabric over his shoulder. “This cloth is made from the finest silk, imported from Japan. This silk is so soft, you wouldn’t even be able to feel its touch against your skin.” 

I hesitated before stroking a finger across the top of the fabric. I laughed, pressing my entire hand against it. I couldn’t feel anything against my skin just as Kylo Ren had said. Kylo Ren tried to drape it across my shoulders and I moved backward.

“I don’t want to rip it,” I said. “It’s so fine!”

Kylo Ren chuckled, returning the fabric to a dresser drawer. He opened a cabinet, revealing a small golden harp. He motioned for me to come closer, and I approached hesitantly. He took my hand in his, gently dragging my fingers across the strings. A cheerful tune replied to my movements, and I jumped back in surprise. Three metal fingers appeared from the bottom of the harp and began to pluck the strings. 

Kylo Ren turned to me, bowing, and offering me his hand. “Care to dance, Ms. Kenobi?” 

I blushed, and placed my hand in his, clumsily stumbling forward into his embrace. “I don’t really know how to waltz. My father used to lead me around the house on his feet, but I don’t know if that counts as experience.”

“No to worry!” Kylo Ren chuckled. “I’ll teach you.” 

The thief gripped my right hand in his left and placed my left hand on his shoulder as the other traveled to my waist. He stepped forward and I mirrored his movements. He traveled backward, then forward again. I looked down, glancing at my feet, hoping that I wasn’t stepping on his toes. Kylo Ren drew my chin up to face him.

“Relax, Rey,” he said. “Keep your eyes on mine, and follow the flow of the music.”

I did as he asked, my gaze locking on his. Our feet moved in tandem, as we traveled in circles around the vault. Kylo Ren turned me, dipping me over and I laughed, feeling as if I would fall from his grip. He drew me back, closer to him, our faces inches apart. The cheerful song ended, and Kylo Ren bowed to me. I curtsied, turning away.

“You’re a natural,” Kylo Ren said to me, brushing past me as he moved to close the cabinet. 

“I hope I will never have to do that in public,” I said, leaning against an antique table. 

“I may have to ask you to demonstrate your new-found skills in the ballgown I keep in the back.”

“A ballgown?” I asked. “Ben, are you trying to embarrass me?” I laughed. 

Kylo Ren turned to face me and tapped his chin before an idea popped into his head. He took me by the hand, leading me towards another part of the room that held different types of furniture. He stopped and placed one of his hands over my eyes. 

“You don’t want a dress or rare silk fabric,” he said. “Even the earrings I showed you don’t please you. Don’t worry, I think I may have an idea on what you may like instead.”

I said nothing as he pulled me into a smaller alcove of the vault, with dozens of boxes stacked on top of the other. Dust flew in the air as we passed by an old bed frame lined with silver and gold. 

“No peeking!” Kylo Ren whispered in my ear. 

I shook my head, wondering what he was going to try and convince me to try this time. As he uncovered my eyes he pulled a white sheet from a sky-blue couch with gilded legs. The blue fabric was embroidered with silver thread in the shapes of flowers and whirls. 

Kylo Ren took a seat on one of the armrests, patting the seat beside him. He smirked. “Want to have a seat?” he asked. “It’s older than me.” 

I approached the couch slowly, leaning back against the soft cushions. I closed my eyes, a smile spreading across my lips as I threw my hair over the backside of the couch. I blinked my eyes open as I felt something being pressed into my hand. It was a hand mirror, the glass surrounded by small silver flowers with green gems in the middle of the bud. 

“What’s this?” I asked. “Another one of your gems you want to impress me with?”

“Mock me if you will,” Kylo Ren commented behind me. “This hand mirror is worth more than the Supreme Leader and his advisors alone.”

Kylo Ren leaned on his elbow, resting his head beside mine. He tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear, lingering for a moment before pulling away and retreating to a gilded chair behind me. 

“Why do you do it?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” Kylo Ren replied.

“Why do you steal?” I sat up in my seat, meeting his gaze. Kylo Ren fidgeted with his hands before rising from his chair. He motioned for me to turn around as he dug through a jewelry box on a mahogany dresser. 

“Why is there cruelty in the world? Why is there suffering in the provinces? Why do innocent people have to die because a government believes they are endangering the health of the population? Why do I steal? I steal because the world is a cruel place. It always has been, and always will be. I steal because it’s the only way I know how to fight back.” 

“You didn’t always have fighting in mind, did you?” 

Kylo Ren chuckled from behind me. I felt a slight tug in my hair as he started to brush the ends that hung off the edge of the couch with a brush made of pure gold. Kylo Ren presented the brush to me, taking my hand in his. With my hand in his own, he brushed my fingers over the intricate designs of swirls on the backside of the brush. The handle of the brush was encrusted with rubies, with a crown imprinted onto the largest stone. 

“You don’t mind, do you?” Kylo Ren asked, a smirk spreading across his lips.

His thumb brushed against my cheek as I shook my head no, relaxing back into the cushions of the couch as he returned to comb through my hair. We remained in silence for a few moments, allowing me to close my eyes. I could feel he was watching me, my skin turning red wherever his eyes traveled. 

“I don’t usually brush other people’s hair,” Kylo Ren said. “For you, I’ll make an exception. You’re usually the only person who doesn’t annoy me…too much.” 

I laughed, sitting up in my place on the couch. I turned to face him, his red eyes following my movements. “Is there a reason you keep showering me with gifts?” 

Kylo Ren didn’t answer. Instead, he reached behind me, gently stroking my irritated red skin. A shiver ran down my spine when I felt his fingers brush against the back of my neck before traveling to my collarbone.

“You seem to be the only one in these caves that I can trust,” he answered. 

I didn’t know what to say or do. I spat out the first thing I could think of. “Ben, I’m sorry about everything,” I said. “Your Aunt, Hux—”

“There’s nothing for you to apologize about,” Kylo Ren said, caressing my chin. “This isn't your fault. Don’t blame yourself.”

Trying to focus on something other than his intense stare, I turned my head away. Moving away from Kylo Ren slightly, I walked towards a bed which sat in the corner of the room, decorated with pillows in an odd cylinder shape that I hadn’t seen before. A shelf with expensive perfumes and cologne stood close by along with a quartz bust of a man with a beard and angry, narrow eyes. 

“You stole everything in here from Supreme Leader, right?” 

“Of course,” Kylo Ren said. “Some of the items you see close by are from the summer palace in Yavin 4.” 

“What is it like there?” I asked, sitting down in a chair that resembled a throne.

“It’s hot year-round most of the time. The people aren’t very welcoming, only to thieves of course. I stole the diamond statue from the Supreme Leader’s grandfather after he married his first wife. The statue was modeled after his mother, and to be honest, I never cared for the woman. She set a trap for me inside her husband’s vault so that I wouldn’t steal her son’s birthday present. Pathetic. I can get by lasers.” 

I chuckled and felt the chair under me creak. I fell to the floor once the legs gave way and Kylo Ren laughed as he helped me from my position.

“I swear, I did not mean to break that,” I said, blushing furiously.

Kylo Ren picked up a piece of the broken chair from the floor, examining the splinters in wood. “It might surprise you to learn that some of the items in here are quite old _._ I have been stealing things from the government for a long time.” 

“I remember,” I muttered, rubbing my bruised hip. “You’re a fossil.”

Kylo Ren didn’t say anything else. Instead, he touched my arm and gave me a smile. “Thank you,” he said. “Just...thank you.” 

“Thank you for following you to the vault?” I asked. 

“You know what I mean,” Kylo Ren said, playfully shoving me in the arm. 

I met his gaze, blushing as a flame sputtered to life on my cheek, traveling towards my lips. Kylo Ren’s red eyes followed the flame, settling on my lips. My legs felt weak, like water. I felt ash running down my calves but I didn’t say anything. 

“Are you hungry?” I asked, turning away from him. “You haven’t eaten in days, and I know the others are eager to see you again. Phasma isn’t very specific on details.” 

Kylo Ren put his arm around me, offering me a wide smile. My stomach felt like molten lava. “I could go for a steak right about now,” he said, his voice wavering slightly. “Maybe later we can talk?”

I smiled, leaning slightly into his touch. “I’d like that.” 

 


	13. Innocent or Guilty?

“Come on,” Finn said. “Hit me _harder_.”

“I’m trying,” I said through my teeth. “It’s a little hard with you breathing down my neck.” I slammed my elbow into Finn’s chest, sending him backward, coughing.

“That was good,” he said, wheezing, his eyes watering. “Let’s…take five?”

I rolled my eyes, opening a bottle of water Padme handed me. A smile was painted across her lips, her eyes laughing at Finn’s pain. 

“You’re getting better,” she said. “You’re gaining muscle tone, which is also good.”

“It’d be better if I could actually learn how to throw fireballs instead of punches. I’m Jedi not a bodyguard.” 

“Baby steps, Rey,” Finn interjected, wincing as he sat on the bench beside Padme. “Has anyone ever told you your elbow is filled with lead?” 

“Really?” I asked, smiling. “I didn’t notice.” 

Padme and I laughed as Finn waddled over to a bench, cursing under his breath. Padme and I followed him, mocking the way he walked and impersonating the looks of pain that flashed across his face. Jessika didn’t seem to notice as she walked into the workout area, typing on a tablet.

“What are you researching now?” Padme asked. 

“Nothing actually,” Jessika said. “I’m looking at the newsfeeds. An interesting article just popped up onto today’s feed. Cameras recognized Kylo Ren’s tattoo up at the compound. The Supreme Leader has now raised the reward for his capture from 100,000 to 500,000 credits.”

“They didn’t recognize anyone else?” I asked.

“Nope. Thankfully their systems aren’t completely updated” Jessika said. “I’ve worked pretty hard to delete the files of almost all the people down here. But you, the government seems to have a real affection for you, Rey. There’s one heck of a firewall around your files, but don’t worry, I’m working on it.” 

A pair of bright pink heels interrupted our conversation, clicking against the cave floor. Phasma pranced into the workout area, a sly smile spread across her pale lips. My mood instantly dropped, and my lips curled into a sneer.

“Good afternoon everyone,” she said in an icy voice. “May, good to see you.” 

“It’s Rey,” I said, rubbing my elbow.

“Whatever,” Phasma said, waving me away. She turned to Padme. “Sweetie, what did I tell you about buying the pastel shade? I want it _darker_.” 

“Sorry Phasma,” Padme said, crossing her arms. “We can’t afford to keep buying you expensive makeup. The budget won’t allow it.” 

“The budget or you?” Phasma asked, her eyes turning into daggers. “If I find this crap in my room again I’m ripping your hair out piece by piece.” 

“Phasma?” Kylo Ren’s voice asked, the thief coming into the workout area a moment later. “There you are, I’ve been looking for you. Where have you been?”

“You know me _Honey Melon_ ,” Phasma said, flirtatiously fluttering her eyelashes. “Taking a smoke break, and doing my nails. I was just chatting with the girls.” 

I couldn’t stop the grimace that spread onto my face quickly enough and Phasma noticed, glaring at me in return. “What is it, Rey? Have you never heard of cigarettes? I guess I shouldn’t really blame you, you probably couldn’t afford them.” 

I clenched my fists and lurched forward only to be pulled backward by Finn. “Say it again!” I snapped, lunging at her. “I dare you!” 

Phasma smiled towards me, smug. She threw her arms around Kylo Ren’s neck. His arms traveled around her waist as her fingers entangled themselves in his hair. 

“I was told about your actions during the bombing attacks,” she said fingering the buttons on his shirt. “You are _so_ brave.” 

Kylo Ren shrugged off the comment, his cheeks flushing red. Phasma’s lips formed into a grin and she leaned closer to his ear, whispering loud enough for everyone to hear. 

“You’re my savior...” 

I averted my eyes, pushing Finn away. I flinched once their lips touched, tasting bile on my tongue. I didn’t realize a fire was burning underneath my t-shirt until Padme cleared her throat, pointing out the smoke coming directly from the fabric above my heart. I wrapped my arms around my body and turned away, waiting until the couple left the workout area. 

“I hate emotions,” I said, kicking a workout bench. “Who the hell does she think she is?!”

“The best fire producer in The Resistance,” Padme said. “No one can, not even Kylo Ren, can produce as much fire at once as she can. It’s…amazing.” 

“I want to punch something,” I said gritting my teeth. “No, I want to _burn_ something.” 

“Rey,” Finn said, his voice cautious. “It’s not a good idea. You aren’t stable.” 

“Teach me,” I said in a firm tone. “I’m tired of the strength training. I want to learn how to be Jedi. _Teach me_.” 

Finn looked to Padme and she nodded. “Okay,” he said, meeting my gaze. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“I warned you,” Finn said, crossing his arms. “You didn’t listen to me.”

The lava stung my skin as I sat in the tub, keeping the heat that crept across my skin on the outside of my body. Finn called the exercise a different kind of strength training. 

The fire spread quickly to my hair, igniting a blaze across my scalp.  I had been doing Finn’s exercises for a week and I came up with nothing. When I stepped from the lava, the fires sputtered and blew out. I couldn’t produce them on my fingers or toes like I had done in the past. I was a failure. 

“Is this normal?” I asked. 

“Every Jedi is different,” Finn said. “Maybe you need the right push?”

“Right push?” I asked, glaring at him. I stepped from the tub of lava. “We have been doing the same thing for a week and we still haven’t gotten anywhere!”

“Rey, listen,” Finn placed his hands on my shoulders. “I understand you are angry and scared that it’s not working. Maybe you aren’t ready—”

“I’m ready!” I cried. “I-I have to be.”

Finn offered me a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry it’s not working,” he said. “Your situation, it’s different.”

“You told me it was tied to my emotions,” I said. “Maybe…that is the problem? Maybe I have to be emotional in order to control it?” 

“It’s worth a try,” Finn said. “Let me go find Jessika. She was in a similar situation to yours when she first got here.” 

I watched Finn travel down the corridor, leaving me alone in the workout area. He had asked me to wake early to train with him so that I could focus on other tasks during the day. I sat on the edge of the tub of lava, rubbing my fingers through the molten liquid. 

It didn’t make any sense. Why couldn’t I do it? Was it cold feet? No, it was frustration. After I failed the first time, and then a second time, I knew it would be a bad day. I could see Finn’s disappointment in his eyes, even though his expression remained neutral. I was desperate to keep trying, to learn to be Jedi. 

My focus was taken away as I heard soft footfalls behind me. I turned, looking to see who it was, but it was no one. I drew my gun, wondering if it could be the mysterious shadowed figure, maybe even Kylo Ren, but that was disproved when I heard the footsteps come from the opposite direction. A rock sailed over my head, clanking into the weight rack. I approached the rack slowly, listening for any other sound.

“Hello?” I asked at first. When no answer came, I brandished my pistol in the direction from which the rock flew. “Hey if you want to throw things at me, at least let me see you!” 

I got nothing but silence in return. After a few seconds passed, my hands tingled with heat as I moved closer, finding the rock with a note tied around it laying on the floor. It looked similar to the stones that lay in the fountains in the main area. I picked up the stone from in between the barbells, turning it over in my hand. I unfolded the note tied to the rock, quickly the writing scrawled on the paper.

_9.11.01 LEARN THE TRUTH WHILE YOU CAN._

_THEY’RE WATCHING._

I turned, looking around the workout area for whoever could have thrown it until I heard multiple sets of feet coming down the hall. I stuffed the stone and note into my pocket, and waited, seeing Finn emerge from the hallway with Padme and Jessika. 

“Did you have to wake me up this early?” Jessika complained. 

“Sorry,” Finn said. “You know I wouldn’t unless the circumstances were dire.” 

Jessika looked me up and down, her eyes then moving to the lava tub behind me. “So, you have emotional ties too, huh? You aren’t the only one.”

“That’s what Finn tells me,” I said, folding my hands behind my back. 

“Try and make a fire,” Jessika said. “Right now.” 

I held out my hand, concentrating, going through the steps Finn had given me. I struggled, moments earlier I had felt the heat against my palm, but it had disappeared yet again. 

Jessika met Finn’s eyes for a moment before she motioned for me to stop.  “It’s obvious whatever you are trying to do isn’t working. We’re going to try something different,” she said. “It’s a long shot, but it might work.” 

“Okay, but I would like it to work-” 

Jessika interrupted me again by slapping me across the face. She pushed me to the floor, straddling my body and continuously slapping me in the face.

“What emotion are you feeling the most?” she asked, hitting me harder. “Happy, sad, scared?”

“What the hell are you doing?!” I snapped, trying to push her away. “Get off me!”

“Anger,” Jessika said, simply. She slapped me once more before helping me from the floor. Jessika met Finn’s gaze, uncertainty crossing his face. “It’s fine,” she said. “Let it go. It doesn’t mean anything.” 

“What are you talking about?” I asked, rubbing my cheek. 

“Anger can have multiple different connotations around here,” Finn said. “Like Jessika said, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“What Finn is trying to say is that there are always bad apples,” Padme moved to my side, stepping between Finn and Jessika. “Unfortunately, we knew one of them.” 

“Bad apples?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “You mean, there have been Jedi that have gone rogue? People who would hurt us?”

“Yes,” Finn said. “They’ve done everything from killing their own to turning in large numbers to the government for money.” 

I shivered. That was exactly what Kylo Ren wanted me to look out for. Who could be guilty? I kept my facial expression neutral, hiding anything that could point to my knowledge of the events. Finn, Jessika, and Padme didn’t react, causing me to relax only slightly. 

“Which bad apple did we know?” I asked. 

“Who do you think?” Padme asked. “Hux.” 

“It was a shame,” Finn said, shaking his head. “Hux was always so close to Kylo Ren, I mean, all of us were.”

“We still are,” Jessika agreed with him. “That’s why it was such a shock for Snaps and I. We knew Hux the longest.” 

“Where is Snaps?” I asked. “I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“He’s been working the patrols outside,” Jessika said. “He’s basically taken over Hux’s old job. Kylo Ren is grateful, it would have been hard to hire someone from the outside.” 

“Let’s get back to you,” Finn said.

“Why do you think I’m a bad apple?” I asked. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“We don’t think that at all!” Padme cried. “It’s just that…Hux’ gift was tied to his emotions as well. I think you can only guess which one he controlled his with.” 

“Anger,” I said, realization causing my voice to turn soft. “Just like me.” I couldn’t be like him, that traitor! He was the reason that Ben's aunt was dead, and The Resistance had been compromised so heavily. He was going to kill everyone. 

I turned back to my friends, to tell them how I couldn’t be like him, seeing how they backed away from me slowly.

“Rey,” Padme said, fear in her eyes. “Calm down.” 

I looked down, seeing the flames that had smoldered to life on my hands. They were growing constantly, reaching out towards Jessika and Padme like fingers. I turned away, shoving my hands into the lava bath. 

“What’s happening to me?” I asked, meeting Finn’s gaze. “I didn’t mean to do it! I promise! I wouldn’t hurt anyone!”

“I know,” Finn said, putting a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. Just breathe in and out.”

I bowed my head, closing my eyes. The heat remained, the fires on my hands refusing to die. My hands shook, a bead of sweat rushed down the side of my cheek. 

“Breakfast is starting,” Jessika said from behind me. “You and Padme go ahead. I’ll stay here with her.” I kept my eyes closed and my head down low, hearing Jessika kneel behind me. A moment later I felt her hand find its way onto my shoulder.

“Listen, we don’t have much time, that excuse isn’t going to last us long,” she said. “Whoever is behind this knows you are looking for whoever is trying to betray Kylo Ren.” 

I recoiled from her touch, the fires on my hands dying from the surprise. I swallowed my nerves and kept my expression neutral. “How did you—” 

“That’s not important,” Jessika interrupted. “What is important is that you need to start being more careful. People noticed when you accused Hux in front of everyone. They will notice if you pull a stunt like that again. Believe me, they will find a way to get rid of you.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, turning away from her as I got up to walk away. Jessika quickly caught up with me, catching me by the arm and pulling me back down onto the floor.

“Yes, you do,” Jessika argued, tightening her grip on my arm as I tried to pull away. “You know what I am saying is right. They will come after you if you act out again. Why do you think Hux was framed?”

“But Hux—”

“Hux was innocent,” Jessika hissed in my ear. “He got too close to them. I knew it from the moment he started telling me about the file. He had me research dates, numbers, people I could find in the Bellonian archives that had anything to do with Project Phoenix.” I recoiled a second time. I had thought that Kylo Ren and I were the only ones who knew that name, who knew what it was. Jessika didn’t smile at my recognition, instead, she turned away, looking towards the Main area. 

I thought back to the security footage, to the shadowy figure, to the video of Hux carrying the rifle, to the poison in the bottle. It all made sense at first, but the only thing that didn’t connect Hux to the betrayal was his own word. Was it possible he was the shadowy figure or was Jessika telling me the truth, that he was being framed?

“Think about it,” Jessika said. “Hux was the perfect scapegoat. He was close to Kylo Ren, he had access to the outside world, he constantly monitored security feeds from the Capitol. I knew it wasn’t right, I knew he was innocent, and I let him escape. Better for him to be on the run than be here and a criminal.” 

I bit my tongue, holding back what Kylo Ren had told me. Hux was dead. He wasn’t coming back anymore. He was really gone. Jessika noticed my expression, and she leaned closer, narrowing her eyes. 

“Did you know?” I asked her. 

“You’ll have to be more specific than that,” Jessika grumbled in response.

“Did you know he could read minds?” 

Jessika’s face fell. “How did you know that?”

“I was on security detail one night. I screwed up. I was thinking and he didn’t like what I had thought so he hit me across the face.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell anyone? Why didn’t you tell Kylo Ren? He would have done something, Rey .”

“It was my problem to deal with, not his.”

Jessika said nothing in response. She remained silent, almost as if she were pondering what I had said. She rose from her spot on the floor, motioning for me to take her hand. She pulled me upright before embracing me in a tight hug. 

“ _9.11.01,”_ she said, repeating the numbers on the note. “You have the file, now you figure out the truth. Our lives depend on it.” 

“What about Kylo Ren?” I asked. “He is helping me—”

“You can’t trust him,” Jessika interrupted me, pressing a finger to my lips. “Unless you know for sure he isn’t playing you. If you find evidence towards someone, evidence that they are the real snitch, you can’t share it with him. Understand?” 

I met her eyes and nodded. Jessika pulled away, and walked towards the dining area as if nothing happened. I looked back towards the stone in my pocket, it’s weight multiplied in the last few seconds. 

“ _Could Kylo Ren really be playing me?_ ” I asked myself. 

My eyes fell upon the thief who entered the dining area from the opposite side, with Phasma on his arm. He toasted his goblet with Finn’s laughing as he took a seat and began eating. 

“ _It’s possible,”_ I thought. “ _Even the most innocent could be guilty.”_


	14. Trust Issues

That night at dinner I coughed into my palm, signaling I wanted to talk. Kylo Ren met my eyes for a moment from across the table, nodding slightly before turning his attention back to Phasma who chattered on and on about her new haircut. 

I left the table early, I wasn’t missed. Looking back towards the dining area, I slipped into Kylo Ren’s hallway and shut myself inside his room. I patted my legs, trying to keep myself busy as I waited for the thief to come down the hallway. 

The door to his room opened, and Kylo Ren met my gaze with a smile. 

“Heads up,” he said tossing me an apple. “I noticed you didn’t eat much of your dinner. I thought you’d be hungry.”

“I’m not in the mood for bad apples.” I placed the fruit on his bedside table. “We need to talk.”

“I understood that from the cough,” Kylo Ren said. “What else is there?”

“You said that you trust me,” I said, fidgeting with my fingers. “Can I trust you?”

“Of course,” Kylo Ren said. “Why wouldn’t you?”

I met his gaze and held my breath. I couldn’t tell him what Jessika said, not until I had proof that he wasn’t against me. 

Kylo Ren must have read my expression because he nodded. “You don’t trust me, do you?”

“Forgive me if I’m a little skeptical,” I said. “You never told me about your relationship with Phasma, and I didn’t even know your real name until you decided you wanted to tell me. For all I know, you could be playing everyone. You could have set Hux up.”

“Hux was my friend!” Kylo Ren protested, his face now wrinkling with a nasty glare. “How dare you—I can’t believe—how could you even think that I would have my own friend framed!”

“How dare I?” I asked, getting angry. “How dare you for keeping secrets from me!”

“What secrets am I keeping?” Kylo Ren asked. “Please, tell me!”

“9.11.01,” I said, showing him the rock. “What does it mean?” 

Kylo Ren’s angry expression fell, and he took the rock gently in his hands. “Where did you get this?” he asked. 

“Someone threw it at me this morning. I don’t know who it was,” I lied. 

“Whoever they are,” Kylo Ren said, “they know about Project Phoenix.” 

The thief shoved the stone in his pocket before rummaging around in his safe, pulling out the aging folder. Shifting his weight on his feet, he looked towards the door. “Stay as long as you want,” he said, his voice and expression empty of any emotion. “I’m going back to dinner.” 

“Ben!” I called after him. “I’m sorry!”

He shook his head, ignoring my apology as the door to his room shut behind him. That was all the confirmation I needed to know that he was innocent. I began moving my eyes over as much information as I could. I glanced back up towards the door, wondering if Kylo Ren would come back, but I shrugged off the idea. I didn’t know how much Ben had already read, but the papers in the file looked as if they had been flipped through repeatedly. A news article was taped to the side of the folder and I scrunched my eyes together to read the small print. 

**September 20th, 2001 PRESIDENT DECLARES WAR ON TERROR**

**Another attack was placed on terrorist forces today by the United States still tries to recover from the fatal attack in New York that was only a week earlier. The nation still in mourning over the tragic loss of many loved ones.**

**“September 11th changed everything for many people, but that doesn’t mean we can’t come back from it,” says government worker Han Solo. “We can rise from the ashes and become anew if people just give us the chance.”**

The last name _Solo_ on the old newspaper was circled in blue ink. I thought of Ben, wondering if he had found the name. I tried to read the rest of the article, but a bloody fingerprint was left on the paper, smudging the remains of the newspaper clipping in the file. 

I flipped to the next item, seeing an old-fashioned model of a human being. Arrows pointed to different areas on the model and were labeled in crude, scribbled notes. I tried to read whatever was written but gave up after a while. 

I turned to the next page discovering more notes written on a different sheet of paper in different handwriting. I skimmed through the paragraphs, learning that whoever had written them was conducting research of a top-secret government experiment. After September 11th, 2001, the government began a classified project to create soldiers that could defeat the terrorists that had attacked their people. 

I heard voices approach the door, and I placed the file back into its hiding place. I crawled under Kylo Ren’s bed and watched as someone stepped into the room, dropping a cigarette onto the floor and then putting it out with bright pink boots.

“When they learn the truth, I’ll finish it,” Phasma said talking on the phone. “This has been many years in the making and it won’t last any longer.” 

She was quiet for a few moments, and I strained my ears to try and listen to the other person’s voice who was on the other side of the line.

“ _What about the girl_?” the man on the phone asked. “ _Has she figured it out yet?_ ”

“Even if she does, The First Order will get to her before us.”

“ _The First Order_?” I mouthed, thinking if I had read the organization’s name in the Project Phoenix file, which I hadn’t.

Phasma hung up her phone and marched from the room back down the hall. I waited a few seconds before crawling out from underneath the bed, examining the cigarette she had left behind in my palm. It looked odd and had a silvery base that melted from the fire. A few embers danced in the remnants of the ashes, a few small pink sparks shooting out towards my skin. 

I switched the cigarette bud to my other palm, feeling the silvery metal heat up against my skin before the small tube shot out a bright hot pink and red flame. 

I yelped, tossing the bud on the floor, and I ducked behind a chair. The silvery tube’s fire instantly died, the flames sputtering out and leaving behind a thick white smoke. 

“It’s not a cigarette,” I said. “What is it?” 

“Rey?” Finn’s voice asked, knocking on the door. “Are you in there? Are you hurt?” 

I grabbed the silver tube and shoved it in my pocket before Finn opened the door, revealing Jessika, Padme, and Phasma with him.

“What are you doing in here?” Finn asked.

“Kylo Ren told me he had lost his pistol and asked me to find it,” I said. “I wasn’t very hungry so I left the dining area and stayed in here.” 

“We were coming back from dinner and heard you scream,” Finn said, his brow wrinkling with concern. “Are you sure you are okay?”

“I’m fine,” I said, meeting Phasma’s gaze. “I just thought I saw a _pink_ rat.” 

“Pink rat?” Padme asked. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Positive,” I said, pushing my way through the crowd. “I guess I’m still hungry.”

Padme met Finn’s gaze before whispering with Jessika. Phasma continued to glare at me, a sneer painting itself across her lips. She realized I was hiding under the bed, and I realized that I was her next target. 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“This time,” Finn said. “Think of something that makes you angry.” I nodded, squeezing my brow together in concentration as I willed my hands to light. 

“Good!” Finn praised me as a small flame sputtered to life across my palm. “Keep concentrating your anger, and imagine a flame.”

The flame grew in size quickly, getting as large as my hand. I smiled, feeling a laugh escape my throat as the fire engulfed my hand. 

“I did it!” I cried, meeting Finn’s gaze.

“Very good!” Finn said, putting his arms around me. “You’ll be able to start throwing flames in no time! For now, all you need is a ton of practice, and to keep eating a lot of food.” 

I laughed. “Believe me,” I said. “That won’t be a problem.” 

The fire sputtered out as I took a sip of water from a bottle Finn had set off the side. Kylo Ren came into the workout area, keeping his distance from me as he spoke quietly with Snaps.

“Did you guys have a fight?” Finn asked, sipping his own water.

“Is it that obvious?” I asked.

“I didn’t want to mention this last night, but we heard you guys arguing from down the hall,” Finn said. “Don’t worry, your voices were muffled most of the time so we didn’t hear what you fighting about.” 

“Good,” I said. “That way no one will know how stupid I am.” 

Kylo Ren looked up and met my gaze before turning away, angrily. 

“Let’s go again,” I said, taking a final sip from my water bottle before rising from my place on the workout bench. 

I walked towards the middle of the workout area, seeing Padme pleading with Phasma. Phasma had backed her into a corner, her face scrunched up in disdain. 

“You little rat!” Phasma hissed. “How many times must I tell you, not to buy pastel pink! Are you so stupid that you can’t understand simple direction?”

“I told you Phasma, we can’t afford to keep buying you the expensive colors!” Padme cried, shrinking away from the glaring blonde. 

“That is why you are so disposable!” Phasma said lighting her hands on fire. “Let’s see how quickly your hair burns off.” 

The pink sparks shot in each direction as Phasma moved towards Padme, who backed away, begging, saying no. I clenched my fists and ran forward, pushing Padme out of the way. My entire body ignited in an angry yellow flame as I pulled on Phasma’s hair, yanking two-handfuls of faux blonde clumps clean from her head.

“Look at that,” I said, glaring at her. “Fake, just like you.” 

The other Jedi in the workout area laughed, crowding around us. 

“Rey, there’s no need to fight,” Finn said, trying to comfort Padme. “Let’s just go. Leave Phasma alone, and focus on your training.” 

Phasma glared at me, fuming. Her pink eyes turned into daggers as she screamed. “How dare you rip out my extensions! Those cost me hundreds of credits!” 

“Maybe it will teach you a lesson!” I yelled back. “There are better things for you to do than to pick on Padme. Find a hobby!” 

Phasma laughed, crossing her arms. “What kind of name is Rey ?” she asked, her tone darkening. She pulled a pair of gloves from her jacket pocket, slipping them onto her hands. The ends of the gloves looked like spikes on a pike, smeared blood remaining on the ends of the fabric. 

Phasma continued to tease me. “Do you like to play dress up in fancy clothes? Pretend you're somebody you're not like royalty? You couldn't be royalty even if oyu tried! You know what, I bet you used to be homeless and you decided you wanted a fresh start. You still smell homeless, it’s absolutely revolting.” 

Red-hot blood pounded through my veins, I felt the heat roll up my body, creeping up my spine. “Stop it!” I ordered. The fires on my body switched from yellow to red flames, flickering between the colors. The air around me boiled, popping. “I’m not—I wasn’t homeless!”

“I bet you bathe yourself with your own tongue because you're too poor to afford your own water!” Phasma spat, pushing me onto the floor. My fire began to burn through the fabric of her gloves, traveling up the sleeves of her clothing. I elbowed her in the face, and she retaliated by kneeing me in the stomach. Phasma’s hand reared back, ready to slice me across the face when we were interrupted. 

“That is enough!” a voice bellowed. 

Phasma and I turned, seeing Kylo Ren, clenching his own fists, seething with anger. Phasma looked embarrassed, almost anxious that Kylo Ren had seen our fight.

“Honey Melon!” Phasma cried, her voice changing pitch. “I can explain—”

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!” Kylo Ren spat, pointing a shaking finger at her. “I’m tired of watching you constantly disrespect the people around you. It’s embarrassing and it’s not going to happen anymore. Rey is right, you need to learn the difference between right and wrong. Until you can show respect towards the others in these caves, I don’t want to see you anymore. Get out of my sight.” 

“But—”

“Now!” Kylo Ren yelled, his voice filling the cavern. 

Phasma rose from her spot on the floor, glaring at me as she passed through the crowd, and walked into the hallway, slamming the door to her room shut. The other cave dwellers resumed their duties, acting as if nothing happened. 

Kylo Ren offered me his hand, pulling me from the floor. “Are you okay?” he asked. 

“I’m fine,” I said, rubbing my bare arms. “I never thought you would stand up to her like that.” 

Kylo Ren scoffed. “I guess that proves you can trust me.” He began to walk away and I grabbed his arm, pulling him back towards me.

“I’m really sorry, Ben,” I said. “I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

Kylo Ren met my gaze, glancing back towards Finn who was talking with Padme quietly. “Come with me,” he said, motioning for me to follow him. 

I bent my arms towards my body as we moved through the crowds, stopping at the corner of his hallway. Kylo Ren pulled out a tablet, handing me the thick square.

“The newsfeed,” he said, shifting on his feet. “Scroll to the second ad on the left.”

I did as he said, seeing advertisements for Palace events, and more rewards being offered for his capture until I scrolled to the ad he wanted me to read. 

**Research Lab destroyed: Terror groups blamed, Supreme Leader declares war!**

“What does this mean?” I asked. “They recognized your tattoo—”

“What they mean by terror groups is simply me, and you. Jedi. All of us,” Kylo Ren answered. “He’s cracking down on everything. He’s going to each province to personally see to it that my supporters and all the Jedi he can find there, are killed.” 

“More people are going to die,” I said. “Does that mean you’re leaving again?”

Kylo Ren hesitated before meeting my eyes. “If you wanted to go,” he said, shifting in place. “Would you come with me?”

“You and I both know that I can’t leave yet, otherwise I would have a long time ago so that I could see my mother. So no, I wouldn’t go with you.”

“I said if you wanted to,” Kylo Ren said, lowering his voice, his red eyes catching my gaze. “There is a difference between _want_ and _willingness_.” 

A small flame flickered to life on my lips and I blushed, snuffing it out with my tongue. I started to move away when Kylo Ren stopped me. 

“I have an idea,” he said, leaning closer. He trapped me in-between him and the wall so I couldn’t get away. “Think about it, and talk to me tomorrow morning.”

“Wait, you’re leaving tomorrow?” I asked. “What about Phasma and the others?”

“Phasma won’t cause too much trouble,” Kylo Ren said. “Besides, I’ll hide the file in a special place before I leave. No one will know where it is.”

“I think I should keep it with me,” I said. “With Phasma hanging around your room all the time, I don’t think it is a good idea for it to be in there.” 

“Rey, you barely know her!” 

“She’s bad news,” I said. “You of all people should be agreeing with me! Everyone in The Resistance hates her but you! For heaven’s sake Ben, did you not just listen to what she said to me? Everyone is practically sick whenever she sticks her tongue down your throat.” 

Kylo Ren frowned in response when it melted away and turned into a smug grin. “I didn’t think you were that jealous.”

“ _Jealous_? I am not jealous!” 

“It all makes sense!” Kylo Ren cried. “You are angry that she is spending time with me when you should be or was it that kiss earlier?”

“Why are you even with her? She’s sadistic and girly. Every time I hear her laugh I don’t know whether I should throw up or deafen myself. Besides, I’m not jealous. I just think she’s—” 

“Bad news,” Kylo Ren said. “Whatever you think she is, you have no evidence to prove it. Once she does something that is "bad news" worthy, feel free to rip out more of her extensions. For now, we’ll keep the file in its normal hiding place.” 

I opened my mouth to tell him about the conversation Phasma was having on the phone, but he was right. I had no other evidence besides the flare and the phone conversation. For all I knew, someone could be trying to frame Phasma too.

“Fine,” I said. “Since you have set some standards, I have some as well.” Kylo Ren raised an eyebrow, a grin coming across his face. “I want to at least have a look at the file tomorrow before you leave,” I offered. “I haven’t had that much of a chance to read everything inside yet.” 

Kylo Ren shrugged. “Okay,” he said. “The file will be with me tomorrow morning—”

“No Phasma,” I interrupted. “I’m serious. If I even see her at least once—”

“You won’t,” Kylo Ren said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my skin before traveling up to my lips. “I swear to you," he whispered. "She’ll still be asleep in her bed when we meet.”

“Good,” I said, swallowing hard in my throat. Ben's eyes traveled to my lips, his pupils dilating as I bit my upper lip. My skin tingled as I felt my back being pressed against the side of the stone statue. Kylo Ren leaned closer, hesitating before brushing his lips slightly against mine. I barely felt them before I turned away from him and his heated gaze. Even if I didn't like Phasma, I had to respect her relationship with Ben, no matter how I felt when I was with him.

“I expect to see you tomorrow morning, _alone,"_ I said to him quickly.  

Kylo Ren said nothing in response before he started heading down the hall. I crossed my arms, hiding the pink that decorated my cheeks and walked back to my room, knowing Kylo Ren watched me as I went by.

 


	15. Return to Jakku

I tossed and turned in my bed through the night, rising early the next morning. Not only had the article Kylo Ren had shown me stuck in my mind, but also the whisper of kiss that touched my lips remained present in my thoughts. I couldn't think of anything else. The news of storm trooper's in the provinces made me worry even more about my mother; about Cassian. If what the article said was true, the Storm Troopers in my sector would be ruthless. Cassian wouldn’t be able to receive his middle-class status until Supreme Leader recalled his soldiers and advisors back to the capital. Sectors became bases only during times of war, which put everything else that didn’t involve the war on the backburner, like upping the financial status of a dirty-blood. 

I turned in my bed, seeing it was still in the early hours of the morning, but I didn’t care. Finn usually had me wake this early to train, but not today. He would be busy and so would I. 

I walked quietly from my room, turning down the hall, listening for the sound of footsteps that weren’t my own. I turned and headed into Kylo Ren’s hallway, pausing at his door, listening for his snores. Nothing came from behind the door except the sound rushing of water. 

I pushed open the creaky door, shutting it behind me as quickly as it opened. From a door that lead to a separate room, I could hear Kylo Ren taking a shower, humming to himself as the water rushed over him. It was the song we had danced to in the vault. 

The large bathroom was crammed full of steam and heat that tangled my hair. Kylo Ren switched the water off, his shadowed figure looming behind the clouds, pulling on a pair of pants, and drying his hair. I knocked on the door of the bath before entering, and the thief met my eyes as the steam cleared.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips. “I thought you would have been asleep.” 

“After the article you showed me yesterday,” I said, “I can’t sleep.” 

Kylo Ren frowned, rubbing a towel into his hair. I suddenly felt self-conscious in the raggedy sleeveless t-shirt and shorts and leaned against the counter, trying not to stare at his muscular chest. I failed, feeling a blush rising to my cheeks as Kylo Ren grinned.

“It’s okay if you stare,” he teased. “I just have to see you next.” 

I shot him an annoyed look before turning away, biting the inside of my cheek. “I can’t go with you, Ben,” I said. “I’m sorry.” 

“Why?” he asked, his brow furrowing.

“It’s too hard,” I sighed. “I mean, when will it end? The torture that the people in the sectors are going through right now, it’s maddening! I know what that’s like all too well. That doctor in my province, she’s going to be receiving a lot more unwilling patients this week, and when she’s done with them she’s going to throw them aside like garbage. I can’t—I can’t witness that without feeling broken.”

Kylo Ren hesitated before pulling me into his embrace, meeting my eyes. “What if we put a stop to it instead?” he asked.

“How?” I asked. “It’s going on in each province.” 

The thief motioned for me to follow him into his room, showing me the Project Phoenix file laid out on his bed, each paper and photo separated into different groups.

I picked out the small photograph from the pile, the caption at the bottom telling me it was a picture of his father who gazed into the background, standing beside a potted plant. I felt as if I could feel the emotion pouring from the man’s eyes. He looked so sad, but brave.

“I don’t look much like my father,” Kylo Ren said, his fingers tracing the exposed skin of my shoulders. “My aunt always told me that I favored my mother more.” 

Kylo Ren moved away from me, pacing over by the door. I sat down on the edge of the bed, my eyes glued to the photo as he spoke. 

 “My father wanted to be a politician when he was younger,” Kylo Ren said. “He received a full scholarship to Harvard for science, so he decided to pursue a chemistry major instead. I don’t think he was ever happy with what he did with his life. He told me every night that he wanted to change the world. I guess he never knew how much he would in the end.”

“If your Dad was a chemist,” I said. “What does he have to do with Project Phoenix? What does he have to do with the date September 11th?” 

Kylo Ren met my gaze before traveling back over to the bed. His hands dug through the piles of paper, he was looking for something. His face lit up with a smile when he found a larger photo, a picture of a board with chemical equations written all over, filling up the space of the board from corner to corner. 

“One thing you need to understand about the Old Country was that what the world knew, and what the government knew, were two different things. On September 11th, 2001, a terrorist group called Al-Qaeda attacked the United States. They hijacked airplanes and flew them into buildings, killing thousands of people. What the public didn’t know, was that the genes of these terrorists had mutated. No one knows how, or why, but on one of the planes that were hijacked one of the terrorists suddenly lost control. He went crazy and burst into flames. The plane went off course and crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. When searching the field after the attacks, the government found his body. Scientists examined his remains and DNA and found it was different. It wasn’t normal human DNA. This was when the Jedi gene was born. The government hired my father to work with a group of microbiologists and geneticists. They had one goal; to recreate the weapon used to cripple American society and to use it against the enemy. Since that day, it was known to everyone involved as _Project Phoenix._ When I was nine, my parents died in a car crash. I always knew that there was a reason, but I couldn’t figure it out. Maybe this can bring me closure.”

“Ben,” I shifted on my feet, rising from the bed. “What if what we discover doesn’t give us the answers we need?” I was thinking about what I had heard Phasma talking about on the phone. It sent shivers down my spine. I knew Phasma had to be talking about the file, and somehow, she knew that Kylo Ren and I had discovered it. Considering I never fully trusted her in the first place, the flare and the phone call did not compare to what other things she was hiding. 

“Rey, I don't think we need to worry about that until we look through this,” Kylo Ren answered. “There isn’t anything we need to worry about, is there?” 

I hesitated, looking back towards the door. There were so many other people in The Resistance, and any one of them could be involved in the conspiracy to kill Kylo Ren.

“Rey,” Ben said, gently grabbing my chin. his thumb brushed over my bottom lip before I met his gaze. “You can trust me.”

“It’s Phasma,” I said. “She was talking to someone on the phone about the file. She said that when we learn the truth, she would finish it. I also heard her talking about a group of people. I can’t remember what their name was, but they don't seem friendly.” 

I could tell he didn’t believe me. There was a look in his eyes, something I couldn’t crack, and my patience was wearing thin. He turned away from me, pulling a shirt out of his dresser. He needed to know, he needed to believe me. “Ben, you can’t trust her! She’s not real! She’s a fake! I found what gives her those large pink flames. Flares! She uses flares to create her fire—” 

“I know,” Kylo Ren said, interrupting me as he pulled the shirt over his head.

“What? How? I’ve been trying to convince you for weeks!”

“Like I said,” Kylo Ren answered. “I have gotten pretty good at picking a Jedi out of a crowd over the years. From the moment I met Phasma, I knew she was faking. I’m sorry I told you that you didn’t have any proof to accuse her of anything, but I thought I could handle it on my own. That’s my own fault. Whatever she had done, it’s blood on my hands.”

“Why haven’t you told anyone?” I asked. “How could you let her stay?!”

Kylo Ren gave me a smirk. “Well, from what I can tell she was sent here to seduce me, and to get me to tell her all my dirty little secrets. So, I decided to play a game of my own.” 

“Which is?” I asked.

“To play dumb. After yesterday’s tirade, I told her that there was a possibility that I would be gone for a few days, and that I wanted her to keep an eye on the safe here in my room. When I came back from dinner, I found sparkly pink residue on the hinges from her lips gloss. You see, when Phasma is concentrating, she wipes her lips with her fingers, like this,” Kylo Ren said, showing me the gesture. “I know it was her shade because it has wound up on my face numerous occasions in the past and is not easy to remove.” 

“You don’t... love her?” I asked, remaining still, staring straight ahead.

“No,” Kylo Ren said, stepping towards me. “The only way I can find out why she is here and who sent her is to keep up the charade, otherwise she could get spooked.”

Without saying another word, Kylo Ren turned his attention to the file, looking through the papers. He wanted to change the subject. I moved beside him, skimming my eyes over the sloppy handwritten notes as he searched through the stacks. Most of the papers were filled with notes on equations and Order 66 his father conducted that had failed when the subject passed away. I looked through everything twice, but there was nothing but notes and equations. Kylo Ren continued to look through the file as I gave up.

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

“The former location where this was kept,” Kylo Ren said. “I saw it last night.”

“It doesn’t really go into much detail,” I said. “Everything says the experiment your father was performing failed. All of the test subjects died.”

“Don’t give up hope yet,” Kylo Ren said, a grimace spreading across his face. “I found what I was looking for.” I looked at the punch card he had placed in my hand, seeing the silvery bolded letters at the top of the smooth paper. 

**Government storage.**

“This has to be a clue!” I cried. “Your father must have left the rest of his research on a government database. That’s how it survived all this time.”

“That isn’t the only thing,” Kylo Ren met my gaze. “Turns out, we aren’t the only ones in Bellona who know about Project Phoenix.”

He turned the card around, showing me the name of the person who had previously checked it out from the database, and my blood ran cold.

“Dr. Asaji Ventress,” I read aloud. “Why would she want the file?” 

“Whatever my father was making was valuable,” Kylo Ren said. “Do you remember what my aunt said before she died? She said that there was a venomous poison he created to kill a test subject if the gene did take hold of their body. The only explanation that would make sense is if Dr. Ventress was recreating the venom for the government to use on Jedi. That would explain why we found so many weapons covered with the poison in the research lab.”

“She can’t get away with that,” I said. “She can’t get away with hurting innocent people. Not again.”

Kylo Ren smiled at my response before he began packing up everything into the file, slipping it into his jacket pocket. He grabbed my arm, leading me out into the hallway and towards the exit.

“Wait, where are we going?” I asked. 

“We are going to go steal the government files off the computer in Supreme Leader’s archives,” Kylo Ren said. “Before the last war broke out, the government put together a computer database with tons of information. Any government building would have access to the archives, so we just need to go to nearest Pantheon, break in, take the information, maybe grab a few things on the way out, and figure out what this doctor wanted from Project Phoenix.” 

“The nearest Providence is Jakku,” I said. “That’s my home province. If I go into the Pantheon, the cameras will be able to recognize my face, won’t they?” 

Kylo Ren grimaced and looked at me, contemplating a plan. Once an idea popped into his head, his red eyes lit up with delight.

“Not necessarily, if Padme agrees to help us.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Don’t worry your Jedi-head,” Padme cooed. “I’ve done tons of makeovers before. Rey will be unrecognizable once I’m done with her!” 

“Are you sure this will work?” I asked, looking towards Kylo Ren. 

Padme’s skin glowed a happy, bright yellow. “Of course, it will!” she chirped. “With a little makeup and a new hairstyle and outfit, you’ll blend right in. Remember, the last time the cameras saw you was when you were like super thin and your hair was falling out.” 

I shot Padme a glare as she moved around the room. First, she dug through her closet. She pulled out a dress shirt, blue collared with quarter sleeves and a matching navy blazer. She held the shirt and blazer up to Kylo Ren, smiling once she was content on the length and look.

“Disrobe!” she ordered. “I need to see how this looks on you.”

“What look are we going for?” Kylo Ren asked, removing his jacket

“Storm Troopers trainees,” Padme replied, moving back behind me. “Once you get to the outskirts of the city, you’ll need to steal government transport to get you to the pantheon.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Kylo Ren replied, pulling his shirt over his head. He buttoned the blue uniform shirt carefully, tucking the tail into his pants. “We already have a government vehicle here. Hopefully, the stickers are up to date.”

Padme began to hum as she wrapped a large apron around my body, securing it around my neck. She ran her fingers through my loose hair and began weaving it into a different style. I yelped a few times as the strands of my hair were yanked, but I was happy she didn’t choose to cut it. After she was done, she twisted it upwards into a knot and secured it tightly to form a large bun on my head. A few strands of my hair hung in front of my eyes and I blew them away. Kylo Ren finished adjusting his blazer and dress shirt, finding a seat across from me. He gave me a smirk as Padme begged me to allow her to decorate my face with all kinds of makeup. 

“I don’t want to look like a woman from Coruscant,” I said. “You can do whatever you want around the eyes and lips, but everything else I would prefer it be left alone.” 

“Done!” Padme squeaked and her hands flew around my face in minutes, giving me false eyelashes, and a darker lip color. She dusted my eyelids with a deep crimson and removed the apron from my body. 

“Now time for the clothes,” she said. 

“Aren’t these inconspicuous enough?” I asked, motioning towards my olive pants and loose fitting shirt. Padme raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms, and tapped her foot against the floor of the room. Kylo Ren laughed, holding his sides. I was tempted to push him out of the chair but decided against it.

“Do you want me to make you unrecognizable or not? Rey, I know what I’m doing.” 

“Yes Rey, she can make you unrecognizable!” Kylo Ren repeated, wiping tears from his eyes. “You should listen to her before she gets mad again!”

“Buzz off!” Padme hissed at him, yanking Kylo Ren out of the chair and pushing him into the hallway. “Why don’t you go get the car started?” 

Before Kylo Ren could protest she slammed the door in his face, locking it behind her. Padme turned back to me, walking over to her closet to hand me a uniform similar to Kylo Ren’s.

“How did you get clothes like this?” I asked. 

“Ren stole them for me,” she replied, digging through a pile of shoes. “This isn’t the first time someone in our little family has needed to visit a province and look like they belong.”

After Padme was satisfied with my outfit, she allowed me to leave and go to Kylo Ren who was waiting in the car. When I shut the door, I noticed the thief was gaping at my new appearance. The makeup I wore was subtle but accentuated my naturally pink cheeks and red eyes. The black pants I wore were tight against my hips, but the blazer fit nicely around my shoulders. 

“I know,” I said. “I look ridiculous. If we are going to go break into the Pantheon, we need to go before too many of the Storm Troopers come back from their morning shift.” 

Kylo Ren handed me a pair of sunglasses and I placed them over my eyes. He cleared his throat and pulled out of The Resistance, speeding through the mountain trail. 

“What’s our plan?” I asked. “Do you have a plan?”

“I’ve broken into the Eighth Pantheon before, believe or not,” Kylo Ren said. “I know where to go and what not to do.”

“That isn’t a surprise,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You stole my file so that I wouldn’t have to be subjected to the Order 66. That failed by the way.” 

Kylo Ren rolled his eyes and pulled to the edge of the Province, stopping close to the northern border. A group of Storm Troopers were checking in the government transports that were going through the border gates. Looking around I saw familiar places and wished I could hop out of the car and run back home to my mother and go back to wearing my father’s oversized shirts as jackets.

“We’re at the front of the line,” Kylo Ren said to me, almost as if he knew what I wanted to do in that moment. “Remain calm.”

The thief pulled the car up to the line, flashing the Storm Troopers his ID. The other Troopers who patrolled the border walked around the car, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Finding everything was normal, they waved us by. We had made it through the checkpoint. 

Kylo Ren zoomed through the province, flying by the sectors towards the Pantheon. I held onto a bar I found by my seat, hoping it would all be over soon.

Kylo Ren shouted at me as the engine rumbled, and exhaust came from the back of the car. “When I pull up to the steps of the Pantheon, I want you to jump out and run up the steps as fast as you can. Fire at any Storm Troopers who come at you. Once you gain entry, clear the lobby, and lock the doors. I’m going to come in through the back.”

“What about the cameras?” I asked. 

“We’ll let Supreme Leader see this,” Kylo Ren said. “It’ll show him that I’m not just a petty thief.”

Kylo Ren moved a lever back in the car, and the wheels began screeching. The engine roared and we sped down the road leading to the Pantheon. Crowds of people jumped out of the way, others who stood nearby admired the car. I could see the Pantheon from my seat, as well as the guards who walked outside. They were wearing ceremonial red armor and carried pikes that stood at least six feet high. 

The Pantheon itself was enclosed between the forum and the entrance to the upper-class living area in the deeper parts of the city. Storm Troopers came and went from the Pantheon periodically throughout the day, going in and out through the back or the front entrance. The prison I had been kept in briefly after my arrest was located beneath the Pantheon, the black walls clashing with the main buildings pearl white. The tall pillars in the front rose at least twenty feet high, with a towering triangular roof. In front of the building was a statue of Supreme Leader, seen holding the Earth encircled with a laurel wreath. Every time I passed by that statue as I child I didn’t know whether to shrink away from its stony gaze or to challenge it with my own look of defiance. 

As the car moved closer to the Pantheon, Kylo Ren turned, giving me a favorable angle to jump out. Storm Troopers came from the Pantheon, anticipating an attack, and I loaded my pistol. 

 I leaped out into open fire and took down two of the Storm Troopers who stood in front. The people of Jakku ran away as fast as their legs could carry them, and I recognized a few faces as I fought my way to the top of the Pantheon. One of my neighbors hid at the base of the stairs with their son, and one of my old teachers stood frozen near the top of the staircase. 

As I ran up the stairs, a Storm Trooper charged towards me, swinging the pike down at an angle to pierce my stomach. The pike went straight through, but I kept fighting. I pulled the spear from my chest and tackled the Trooper. We rolled down the stairs, fighting for control over the other. If I wasn’t Jedi, the broken bones would have immobilized me immediately. As my bones cracked against the stairs, my arms went up in flames, and some of the people screamed with terror.

“She’s on fire!” a woman shouted.

“She’s a demon!” a man said. “God has come back to punish us!”

Once my arms and ribs were healed, I punched the Storm Trooper I had been wrestling with, knocking him out and reloaded my pistol. Seeing no other conflict, I ran back up the stairs into the lobby and locked the entrance. The secretary sitting at the desk shrieked and dove underneath the counter as I shot bullets into the ceiling. I turned and pointed my pistol at an unarmed intern wearing a white lab coat. 

“You,” I demanded. “Show me to Doctor Ventress’s lab, and don’t even think about calling reinforcements to hold me off!”

The woman stood up, shaking, and lead me down the hall. She stopped at a closed metal door, and I motioned for her to leave. A fingerprint scanner by the door of the lab beeped, with blinking red and green lights. I pressed my hand against the cold metal, burning my handprint into the metal and disengaging the mechanism. The metal door of the lab swung open a second later. 

Inside the lab, the Doctor shoved things quickly into a briefcase, not caring if she wrinkled papers or separated different files from each other. A second briefcase sat on her desk, filled with drills and tools used for torture. 

I cocked my gun, pointing the barrel at her head, causing her to freeze in her place. “Doctor,” I said. “Good to see you again. It’s a shame we had to end things on bad terms during our last meeting. I’d hate to make a bad impression.”

“Listen to me you ruffian,” she hissed, not even turning around to look at me. “I have nothing you want. Go back to the south where you belong!”

The doctor turned back to her desk, continuing to shove papers into her briefcase. I fired a shot into her briefcase, grabbing her attention. “I’m not a rebel,” I growled. “I’d be careful what you say next, otherwise you may lose your life for what comes from your tongue.”

The Doctor turned around slowly and faced me, her hands up. A frown came across her lips. “Who are you?” she asked. “Why are you doing this?”

“You know exactly why!” I screamed, yanking off my sunglasses. “You threatened me, and tortured my mother! For all I know she is dead now because of you and you don’t even care!” The doctor shifted on her feet, looking away. “You don’t remember me, do you?” I asked, realization coming into my voice. “You have hurt and tortured so many people you can’t even remember names anymore.”

“Well aren’t you clever?” the doctor mused. “I suppose this is when you kill me?”

“No,” I said. “I still need something from you first. You are coming with me to the government database. I need your access card.” 

I motioned for her to move with my gun, and she moved out of the door in front of me. I followed her down the hall, and up a flight of stairs to the computer laboratory, the source of the archives. 

I pushed the Doctor down into a chair, aiming the barrel of my gun at the back of her head. Supreme Leader’s emblem shown in the background of each silver monitor, with a fingerprint scanner that sat in the right corner and a webcam.

“Log in Doctor Ventress,” I hissed. 

The Doctor ground her teeth and moved her fingers across the keyboard. The emblem disappeared as the archives came onto the screen. 

“What exactly are you looking for?” the Doctor asked. “I cannot help you find what you desire unless I know more.” 

“Access all the information you have on the Old Country,” I said. “Particularly for the year 2001. Don’t leave anything out.” 

The doctor moved her fingers across the board until the screen went blank with the words _server connection lost_ flashing in bold white letters.

“No!” I screamed. 

“Thank you for cooperating,” the Doctor said. “I’m afraid whatever you were looking for from that era is now gone from our server.”

“Dammit!” I growled, pacing back by the door. If we didn’t have the information we came for, our trip to the Pantheon would be worthless.

The Doctor smirked at my response, and she laughed. “Never try and steal from the Supreme Leader sweetie,” she sneered. “He always has a plan.”

“Shut up,” I grunted, hitting the Doctor across the head with the butt of my gun. I pushed her out of the chair, taking off my sunglasses to have a better look at the screen. No matter what buttons I pressed, the words would not disappear. 

The sliding door to the computer lab opened and Kylo Ren stepped through the door, his hands on fire. He glanced down at the Doctor’s body on the floor, stepping over her to sit beside me at the computer.

“I’m going to guess she wasn’t helpful?”

“Damn right,” I said, still fuming. Smoke came from my fingertips as I typed. “She did something to the connection. I can’t access anything we need. She tricked me!”

Kylo Ren pushed the monitor to the side, yanking out the cords of the box and tucking it underneath his arm. His stuck his hand down into the doctor’s jacket, his hands fumbling until he tossed me a key card.

“It nothing Jessika can’t fix,” he said. “Let’s go, we’ll be expecting company soon.”

“What about her? I asked, standing over the doctor. I cocked my gun, holding the barrel against her forehead. “Who knows what she did to my mother or countless others. She needs to die for all the lives she’s ruined.”

Kylo Ren shrugged. “I’m not arguing. Do what you will.” 

I pulled the trigger, watching her blood drip onto the floor. I waited for the validation, waited for the feeling I had always dreamt of, but I felt nothing. No validation, no justice. Angry tears burnt my eyes as I turned away from her corpse, clutching my pistol in my fists. 

Kylo Ren took my gun, tucking it into the back of his pants. “Let’s go,” he said. “We can’t stay here all day.”

I followed the thief out into the hallway without another word and back down the staircase to the main floor. The lobby was quiet, with no signs of the secretary or the other scientists I had locked inside.

“Do we need to go anywhere else?” I asked. 

“I saw a room we should visit on our way out,” Kylo Ren said. “Follow me.” 

I cleared the room as we moved swiftly through the hallways. We ran into a few more interns and scientists, but I sent them out the back. Kylo Ren pointed to a room by the exit and I stopped by the door: **Order 66.**

The label was made in a smooth, silver metal and the letters were large blocks. I waited for Kylo Ren’s signal and then busted down the door and scanned the room. No one was inside, but a few vials of a reddish-orange liquid that seemed awfully familiar sat on top of the counter.

“It’s the poison!” I called to him. “It has to be.”

“We can’t leave the vials here,” Kylo Ren said, taking one in his hand. “If you’re right, this is the venom that coated the bullets that killed my aunt and hit you.” Kylo Ren grabbed a set of keys from off the wall and tapped a container by the door. “There could be more vials here. Make sure you destroy each one. We can’t leave anything behind!”

Kylo Ren began to toss the vials onto the floor, spilling other containers of chemicals and liquids on top of the poison. I began picking the vials out of the test tube containers one by one. The refrigerator door was a little hard to open, even with the key. I melted the plastic hinges and snagged the rest of the batch. The room was filled with red fumes and noxious gas. I covered my mouth coughing. My skin that was left exposed to the air turned an irritated red color and burst into flames. 

Kylo Ren held the final vial in his hands. He swirled the liquid around inside the test tube, watching the gold particles inside dance with the lava colored poison.

“We should call it venom,” he said to me. “It’s poison from the mouth of that snake who calls himself Supreme Leader in the capital. I believe it’s fitting, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” I said, stepping over a puddle of acid that was burning through the floor. “I just don’t understand why you are holding it like that.”

“We need to take this with us,” Kylo Ren replied, tucking the vial safely into his jacket pocket. “Maybe we can study it and figure out a way to combat it.” 

 Kylo Ren motioned for me to follow him out into the hallway into the chaos as we exited the Pantheon. The windows of the third level of the burst and a fire raged from inside. The terrified people of the province cowered behind nearby buildings, a stray cloth doll lying in the middle of the battle. Close to a small fire that had broken out from an explosion, a small child stood crying behind a nearby tree, afraid to move any closer. 

“Rey, we need to go!” Kylo Ren shouted. The thief sprinted towards the car, rushing inside to start the engine. I hesitated and dashed forward, grabbing the doll, and shooting a lone Storm Troopers who fired at me. He dropped to the ground and I ducked behind the same tree where the girl stood.

“It’s okay,” I said, trying to console the sobbing girl. My efforts proved to be in vain as she continued to scream. “I just wanted to return your friend!” 

The girl’s cries silenced. She sniffled and reached out for her doll, taking it from my hand. “Thank you,” she whispered in a small voice, clutching the doll to her chest.

“What’s your name?” I asked. 

“Jeanene,” the girl answered, shifting in her place as more Storm Troopers approached. “I’m scared. I want my mommy!” 

My eyes locked on a woman who stood at least ten yards away, her eyes fearful. Two more Storm Troopers approached us from behind and launched more bullets at my head. I scooped the girl up in my arms, shielding her with my body with mine as I rolled onto the ground, ducking the gunfire. I aimed and hit one of the Storm Troopers in the shoulder and the other in the leg. The girl’s mother rushed forward from her hiding place and took her daughter from my arms. Her eyes shined with grateful tears, but I could tell she was afraid to say the words.

Underneath the fire of bullets, Kylo Ren pulled the car beside me, blocking gunfire that came from more Storm Troopers. I fired off two more shots, shooting a Storm Trooper in the shoulder. The group of fell back, which gave me enough time to get into the car beside him.

Kylo Ren pulled away quickly from the Pantheon and we began to advance towards the northern border. Suddenly, an armored car appeared in front of us, full of Storm Troopers. Kylo Ren stopped the car, and we faced the Troopers as if we were about to duel. They were dressed in the riot gear I had seen on the news feed from the southern provinces. Underneath the silver armor they wore were thick, padded clothes. The gloves on their hands were charred but kept together. They were fire-resistant. The helmets on their hands covered everything but their mouths, in front of their eyes was a thin shield of crystal colored metal with holes poked into a triangular pattern. 

A man stood up in the armored car, and he pointed a large gun at the car. My heart began to beat faster, my hands catching on fire from the excitement. He wore a tattered cape with his riot gear and carried a pike on his back. From the medals he wore on his chest, he was an officer, superior to the other Storm Troopers with him. 

“Attention, thieves, and rebels against the crown!” he called out to me and Kylo Ren. “You will now give up and turn yourselves in, or face retribution from the Supreme Leader!” 

I stepped from the car and pointed my pistol at his head. The man shot me in the shoulder, hoping that I would become injured like a normal human. The wound burned and healed in front of him and I purposely caused my hair to ignite, my arms and legs following a few seconds after. The men in the armored car reacted quickly to my challenge, and one even stepped from the vehicle.

“She’s Jedi!” he screamed. “Get them!” 

Numerous shots flew towards me as I advanced towards the armored car. Kylo Ren stepped from the car behind me, his body catching on fire as well. 

“Creatures!” a Storm Trooper shouted. “We’ll send you back to Hell where you belong!”

“That’s rude! I’ve heard Hell is nice this time of year,” I said, pouting. 

Kylo Ren smiled and I watched as he blew a flame from his hand, igniting the armored car. Storm Troopers fled the flames, screaming as burns ate the armor on their bodies. Their hands were the only parts of their body protected from the fire.

A wave of bullets overtook me, causing me to stumble backward. A battle cry came from the crowd of civilians watching from afar as an old man ran towards the Storm Troopers that had gathered around me. Swinging his cane, he knocked them to the side, giving me enough time to regain my strength and produce enough flames to kill the last Storm Troopers that assaulted Ben. 

The congregation of the once terrified onlookers of the province behind us yelled in an uproar, inspired by the old man’s rebellion. Numerous men came from the mob, running towards the Storm Troopers. They grabbed them by their arms and legs and dragged them into the streets, beating them with makeshift clubs and sticks. 

I stood back with Kylo Ren, watching the commotion until another armored car came around the corner, and more shots flew towards us.

“We have to go, Rey,” Kylo Ren said, running back towards the car. “I’m sure the people here can handle the rest.” 

I followed him, protesting as I watched the crowd start to be overtaken. “If we leave them here they’ll only be beaten!” 

“We have to go!” Kylo Ren cried, taking my hand, and pulling me into the car. 

We sped away from the Pantheon, with the second armored car of Storm Troopers in pursuit. Kylo Ren cursed as we turned a corner, hopping over a curve.

“What’s wrong?” 

“We’re almost out of gas,” he said. “I told Jessika to refill the tank!”

“I know where we can find some gas,” I said. “We just need to ditch them first.”

“Not a problem,” Kylo Ren said, looking quickly behind him before pulling the car into the Forum. His hand fumbled around the control board before he pressed a button which released the top.

“Have you ever used a grenade launcher before?” he asked, screaming over the screeching of tires.

“No!” I shouted back, my forehead wrinkling.

“Today is your lucky day,” he said. “It’s in the back. Take out their front tire!” 

The weapon was clunky and heavy, but I lifted it upward enough to aim and fire, hitting the front gas tank of the armored car, causing it to explode.

Kylo Ren ducked out of the forum and onto an old transport road, pulling the car around and out of the woods into the quiet entrance to the sectors. He parked, motioning for me to follow him behind the trees. 

“We need to find our way back to my house,” I said to him. “Cassian’s father used to keep gasoline and old machine parts in our barn when I was little. There still might be some there.”

“We’ll have to lay low for a while,” Kylo Ren said. “Hopefully your mother will be up for the company.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I shifted in place and crept slowly in front of Kylo Ren leading him towards the back entrance of my old neighborhood. I took in a deep breath, smelling the freshly baked bread which cooked across the street. A smile came across my lips as the fond memories of tasting a fresh loaf came into my mind, and my stomach rumbled. Kylo Ren chuckled behind me.

“Don’t get too hungry,” he teased.

“I won’t,” I said. “I can’t help but think about how many times I dreamed of tasting my neighbor’s sourdough rolls. I remember once my mother saved enough money up to buy a small loaf when I was eight or nine. It’s one of my fondest memories.”

Kylo Ren stopped in his path, looking through the branches. “Is that your house?” he asked. “It looks different.”

I peered through the leaves, seeing what he had meant. The back window of the house was broken from a large stone, and a foreclosure sign stood on the front lawn. There were no lights on in the house, and the stench of garbage came from one of the broken windows.

I felt Kylo Ren’s fingers brush against my own as he gave my hand a squeeze. His arm went around my shoulders, “It’s okay,” he said. “Maybe she’s still there.” 

I nodded, looking at my surroundings before breaking through the trees and pushing open the back door of the house. Kylo Ren shut the door quickly behind him, rattling a few empty beer bottles.

“Mom?” I called out. “It’s me, Rey. Are you here?”

Silence echoed through the room, and my heart broke at the absence of a response. I moved through the dark room, rubbing my fingers together to create a small flame across my palm. Kylo Ren followed me into the living room, slouching down onto the couch. 

I flipped through the old magazines and newspapers which lay in a heap by the front door. From the looks of things, my mother hadn’t been home for at least a week or two. It didn’t make me feel better when I didn’t find any open beer cans or wine bottles.

“I don’t know where she could have gone,” I said. “We don’t have any other family she could stay with. It’s against the law to leave your own province without a signed permission slip from the overseer, and my mother isn’t one to wander off.” 

Kylo Ren held up his hand, motioning for me to stop. “Shhh,” he whispered, holding a finger to my lips. “Do you hear that?”

I remained still, hearing the jingle of keys from outside the front door. I picked up an old vase, motioning for Kylo Ren to move to the other side of the door as the intruder came into the house. It was a Storm Trooper recruit, and from the looks of his uniform, he hadn’t been in the academy for long. 

I screamed as I hit him across the back of his head, Kylo Ren grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back as he pushed him onto the floor, disabling him.

“What do you want from my mother? Huh?” I demanded. The recruit only groaned in response, fidgeting as he tried to free himself from Kylo Ren’s grip. 

“Where is she? What have you done to her!” I demanded, yanking his hair, and pulling back his head as I hissed in his ear. “I swear if I find out you hurt her I will kill you!” The Trooper recruit met my eyes and I froze. I released his hair, jumping back against the wall in alarm. 

“Rey, what is it?” Kylo Ren asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

My face paled as my startled body shook. “Cassian?” I asked, my voice hesitant. 

The boy looked far different from when I had seen him last. His eyes remained the same, proud, and happy, but his face showed a different story. His right eye was a light purple color as if it were healing from a punch. A white strip was taped to his nose, with a thin red cut sneaking its way out from underneath the bandage. 

Cassian jumped backward, stumbling towards the door. He shook his head, waving his arms in front of me. His eyes widened, shoving me away as I tried to move closer. He shuddered, white as a sheet. “Rey?” he asked, disbelief in his voice. “You’re dead! I saw you die! I washed your blood from my clothes. I still remember the smell! You died! You aren’t real! You can’t be here!” 

“Wait, this is Cassian?” Kylo Ren asked. “He looks different.”

“What the hell happened to you?” I asked, ignoring the tears that came to my eyes. I reached out towards him, my hands resting on his shoulders. 

“I watched you die,” Cassian repeated. “Your head rolled onto the ground at my feet. Next thing I know, I’m being told your mother can’t hold a proper funeral for you because your body had gone missing.” 

I glanced back towards Kylo Ren who raised his hands up in defeat. I didn’t know what to say.

“I watched you die,” Cassian said again, leaning against the closed front door. “You aren’t real. You aren’t really here.”

“No,” I said, moving to kneel at his side, holding his face between my hands. “It’s me. I am here.” 

Cassian shook his head, refusing to look at me as he kept his eyes shut. I pressed a kiss against his temple as I wrapped my arms around his neck. 

“I never got to say goodbye,” Cassian said into my shoulder. “You were arrested, and then you were executed. I didn’t even get to see you. I never got to say goodbye.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I know I left without any explanation, and I know that seeing me right now is confusing, but you need to know that it is really me. I’m here. Cassian, I’m alive. I did die, but not for long.” 

Cassian started to sob into my shirt, clutching the fabric tightly in his hands. His arms went around my neck, squeezing my body tightly in his own embrace. 

“What happened to you?” I asked him.

“After you died, the government revoked my middle-class status. I have no idea why. My father had a heart attack and my mother couldn’t help me work so we began losing money. I had no choice but to join the academy so that I could send money home each week to help pay the bills.” 

“Cassian, I’m so sorry,” I said. “I know how much the middle-class status meant to you. It was really going to turn your life around.”

“It didn’t hurt as much as it did when I watched you die,” Cassian sniffled, his eyes meeting my own. He wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeves, rising from his place on the floor. “How are you here?” 

My eyes moved back towards Kylo Ren who stood by the door, awkwardly shifting on his feet. “I’m Jedi, Cassian,” I said. “I can’t die; well, not easily.”

“You’re Jedi?” Cassian repeated, looking towards Kylo Ren who mingled behind me. “Does that mean he is—?”

“Jedi too? Yes, he is,” I said. “Cassian, I wanted to come back for you and my mother, but it was too dangerous. Plus, he wouldn’t let me.”

Cassian frowned, his eyes forming a glare. He moved to stand in front of Kylo Ren. “Who are you?” he asked, puffing out his chest as he compared himself to the thief.

“Do you think I should I show him? Kylo Ren asked me, chuckling slightly.

“Might as well,” I said.

Kylo Ren turned his back to Cassian before lifting the longer pieces of his hair to show Kylo Ren tattoo of a black helm that hugged his neck. 

Cassian’s eyes widened with realization, turning back to me. “You seriously can’t be hanging out with public enemy number one!” he cried. “Rey, have you lost your mind?” Cassian grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me. “Have you gone insane?”

“Of course not!” I cried. “He saved my life, he’s my friend—”

“He’s a criminal,” Cassian said, his tone darkening. 

“So am I,” I said, defiant. “What are you going to do? Chop my head off again?”

Cassian glared at me before turning back to Kylo Ren. “Do you have any idea what you have done, you animal?” Cassian asked. 

“I haven’t done anything she hasn’t wanted to do,” Kylo Ren said. 

“Right,” Cassian fumed. “I’m sure whatever heists you have committed together have been her decision completely.”

“Cassian, listen to me,” I said, grabbing his hands, leading him away from Kylo Ren. “Everything I have done, I have wanted to do. I’ve never felt more free, or alive. I can finally be myself!”

“You could have felt that way with me,” Cassian said, his tone bitter. “We were going to get married, Rey! You were going to be my wife!” 

“I never accepted your proposal!” I screamed back at him, jabbing my finger into his collarbone. 

“Did that kiss mean nothing?” Cassian asked, his voice full of venom. “Why did you even talk to me? Were you just leading me on because you knew I was going to come into some money soon?”

“It wasn’t like that!” I protested. “It wasn’t about the money, I swear it!” 

“You’re a liar!” Cassian hissed, clenching his fists. “You weren’t upset about leaving me behind, were you? No, you weren’t concerned about it at all because you are a greedy— “

“Stop it!” I ordered, clutching my hands to my ears.

“Gold-digging— “

“Cassian, I’m warning you!” I cried. 

“Whore!” Cassian finished.

Flames burst into life upon my hands, my hair smoldering as smoke came from my ears. Cassian was too close to me when they came to life, and the sleeves of his shirt became singed. I jumped back after I realized what I had done. The fires on my hands went out, and I buried my fists into the pockets of my pants. He had agitated me. It was his fault, not mine!

Kylo Ren stepped between me and Cassian, his eyes burning. “It isn’t wise to push her,” he said. “It could get you killed. Her powers are still unstable. You’re lucky you came out of this with all your body parts intact. Count yourself blessed.”  

“Cassian, I’m sorry!” I cried. “I didn’t mean to, I swear! I can’t control it!”

“They were right,” Cassian whispered. “You will hurt us! All of you will hurt us!”

“There’s no reason to be afraid! I’m still learning,” I said. “Please, Cassian. You have to believe me!”

Cassian turned away from me, shaking his head, turning to face the door. “No, I don’t,” he said. “No matter what you say, Rey, the girl you were; the girl I loved, died from a beheading. The _creature_ standing before me now is a complete stranger.”

“Cassian,” I said, reaching out towards him, tears pooling in my eyes.

“No,” he said, tugging his arm away. “I don’t know what you came here for, but you might as well leave. I won’t turn you in, but if you aren’t gone in an hour when they do patrols, it won’t be my fault when you’re arrested.” 

“Cassian wait!” I cried, starting to go after him.

He shot me a glare, and Kylo Ren pulled me back, bowing his head as Cassian left, the door slamming shut behind him. 

I collapsed to the floor and tucked my head in between my legs as a gut-wrenching so cut through my chest. All my memories of the happiness and warmth of his eyes, gone, replaced with ice cold hatred. In a single month, he became a stranger, and I became his worst enemy.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

“Rey,” Kylo Ren shook me awake gently. “We’re back.”

“What time is it?” I asked. I looked around the main cavern, realizing Kylo Ren must have carried me inside. My puffy eyes had caused me to fall asleep in the car. 

“Late,” Kylo Ren replied, setting me gently onto the ground. “Don’t worry, no one else is up. For now, it’s just us and the computers.” 

My eyes stung as I blinked them open, my throat feeling hollow and empty. 

“I’m really sorry about Cassian,” Kylo Ren said, his eyes full of guilt. “If I had filled the gas tank up myself like I should have done we wouldn’t have run into him.” 

“He was going to find out I was alive eventually,” I said. “Better it be that way than something far more public and humiliating. He could be kicked out of the academy or court martialed just for speaking to me. It’s treason to interact with enemies to the crown.” 

Kylo Ren pulled me gently down the hallway with him by the hand, carrying the computer underneath his right arm. 

“He deserves a lot more than a court martial,” Kylo Ren mumbled. “I’d punch him in the face myself for what he said to you.” 

“That’s Cassian for you,” I said. “I’ve known him since I was kid. He always talks before he thinks.” 

Kylo Ren shifted on his feet, taking in a deep breath as he hesitated. “Did you love him?” he asked. “Were you really going to marry him?”

“No, I never was. I was considering it, but I wouldn’t have gone through with it. I wasn’t in love with him. He was right though,” I said. “If I did do it, I would have done it for the greed. I always admired his family as a child, they had the things I couldn’t have. I never loved Cassian, but I’ll know love when I find it.” 

Kylo Ren didn’t reply to my answer, he just nodded, continuing back down the hallway. 

“Forget about Cassian,” I said, taking the computer from his grip. “How are we going to figure out if what we stole from that lab is really the venom?”

“I’m not sure,” Kylo Ren said, fidgeting with one of the computer buttons. “Let’s just stay quiet until we are in my room. I don’t like the silence, it’s unnatural.” 

I remained silent as I followed him down the hall and into his room, shutting the door behind me. I set the computer down carefully onto his bed. Kylo Ren moved aside a few piles of riches on his dresser before he plugged the computer monitor into the wall and placed it into the safe.

“We should ask Jessika to have a look at it,” I said. “She’d know what to do.”

“Good idea,” Kylo Ren said, removing the vial of venom from his jacket pocket. He held the vial out to me. “I’ll ask her in the morning.” 

I took the vial in my hand, turning it over in my palm. The red-orange liquid gurgled the elements inside sparkled like embers of a fire.

“We have to test this,” I said. “But how? If it is real venom, how are we going to keep this hidden so others here in The Resistance don’t get hurt.” 

Kylo Ren met my gaze, thinking for a moment. When an idea came into his head, he took a spot on the bed beside me, removing the blazer and dress shirt. I wanted to ask him what he was doing until he interrupted me. “You’re going to test it out on me,” Kylo Ren said.

“What! No, no way!” I protested.

“You said it yourself just now!” Kylo Ren argued back. “We have to figure out if this stuff is real. If it is, there will be people in these caves who will try and use it against me if they figure out that we have some here in our possession.”

“I’m not going to test it on you,” I said. 

“You have to,” Kylo Ren said. “It has to be you or me. No one else knows what we are doing, and I’m not going to let you hurt yourself.” 

I sighed, peering down at the vial.

“What am I supposed to do? I won’t inject you with it.”

“You won’t have to,” Kylo Ren said, taking my hands. “Just pour a small drop on my wrist. If it is the same substance that killed my aunt and hurt you and it kills me, well, make sure that you find whoever if doing this. My life is in your hands, Rey .”

My hands shook as I opened the top slowly, flinching at the smell of burning flesh as I gently dropped the tiniest portion I could think of onto Kylo Ren’s arm. He cried out in pain, holding his arm, falling to his knees on the floor.

“Ben!” I cried, dropping the rest of the vial onto the floor, the contents shattering and sprinkling slightly against my legs. 

I curled up into a ball as the pain washed over me. My gaze went towards Kylo Ren, who held out his arm, the skin of his wrist being eaten away by liquid. 

“No,” he croaked. “They’ve been switched. This is too corrosive, it has to be laboratory grade.”

“Someone told them, we were coming,” I choked, swallowing the wave of nausea that came over me. “They replaced the venom to make sure we took the acidic form.” 

Kylo Ren crawled towards me, taking me into his embrace. “We have to wait here. We have to let the pain pass.”

“How long will that take?” I asked. 

“Until morning,” he said, his voice weak. “Hopefully.” 

I felt Kylo Ren’s breath on the back of my neck as he passed out, the grip of his arms relaxing slightly. I tried to stay awake, to keep my head up. My vision blurred, spinning as the door opened. A shadowy figure waited patiently by the door. Their footsteps approached until their form was standing directly over me, and I blacked out. 

 


	16. Who is Phasma?

I awoke, screaming in a fire. The flames burned and pulled at my hair and skin as I sat straight up in the sheets. Realizing I was still in Kylo Ren’s room, I froze, and the flames rested against my skin, smothering themselves out. 

The thief poked his head into the room, rushing over to my bedside. “Are you alright?” he asked. “I could hear you scream from the other room.”

“There was someone standing over me,” I said. “Before I passed out.”

“I don’t think anything is missing,” Kylo Ren said, contemplating what I said before his eyes widened with horror and he rushed over to his safe. “The computer,” he said. “They did something to the computer!”

I winced with pain as I rose from my spot in the bed, hobbling over to where he stood. He had placed the computer in the safe so it would not be disturbed. Whoever had come into the room knew the passcode to his safe, and broke the screen so a long, thin crack ran from corner to corner, left to right. Smaller cracks rippled out from the original damage, making it impossible to read whatever showed up onto the screen. 

“Do you think Jessika could fix this?” I asked, tucking my arms underneath my rib cage to hold myself up. My legs felt weak, and my fingers numb.  

“Possibly,” Kylo Ren said. “It will take time, time we don’t have. Whoever is doing this, have hurt you now too. Rey, if they kill me, they won’t spare you. You know too much.”

“I’m not so sure that’s true anymore,” I said. “Yes, there are people out to get us, but if they wanted to kill me, why not do it while we both were passed out?” Kylo Ren thought about this, and I continued. “No, I think that someone needed to get us out of the way. Someone inside knew we had stolen the computer from the pantheon, and brought it back with us.”

“Another mole,” Kylo Ren muttered, pain in his eyes. 

“We have to do something,” I said, grabbing his hands. “We need to catch them before something else happens. We can’t have a repeat of Hux.” 

“What are you suggesting?” Kylo Ren asked. 

“Is there a way I could search the other rooms here? Something that would draw everyone else out into the main part of The Resistance long enough for me to look through everything?”

A smile came across Kylo Ren’s face. “I think it’s time we have another party,” he said. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The Jedi musicians Kylo Ren hired for the party arrived early. At first, they stood still, admiring their surroundings until another cave-dweller asked them to play some music. From what Kylo Ren told me they were from the south, close to the border.

I huffed out a sigh, concentrating on the flames in my hands. I had to empty everything from my mind tonight if I was going to successfully go through each room. 

“Concentrate Rey,” Finn said, hitting me on the butt with a paddle.

“Ow!” I yelped. “Was that necessary?”

“You need to learn to create a flame in a rainstorm,” Finn said, gesturing with the paddle. “Obviously, I can’t bring water in here, so for now we will have to settle with my remarks and charm.”

“Yay me,” I grumbled, centering my focus. 

Jessika came into the workout area behind me and stood by Finn. “Is she just supposed to stare at it?” she asked. 

“I’m trying to teach her to make it large enough to throw,” Finn said. “We got there once, but it didn’t stay very long.” 

The fire in my hands grew, and I smiled as the blaze reached the perfect size. I flung back my hands and watched as the flames traveled across the room and hit the target Finn had set up. I smiled, looking back towards Finn proudly. He gave me a thumbs up and tossed me a bottle of water.

“It’s always important to hydrate,” he said. “Your body can be drained of energy quickly.”

I took a swig of the water, glancing back towards them rooms as more people emptied into the main area. After the last few exited the hallway I gave Finn a smile. “I forgot something in my room,” I told him. “I’ll be right back.”

He shrugged, turning his attention away from me as I moved into the back. I remained in a dark corner until the sound of a tuba reached my ears; the signal for me to begin looking through the rooms. 

I started on my hallway, scanning the room doors until I found the pink carpet belonging to Phasma. I smirked and opened the door slowly, seeing the room empty. 

The inside looked as if feathers and cheap glitter had exploded on everything. The bed spread was pink silk, but the edges were covered in faux peach colored peacock feathers. The dresser was the same shade of pink, along with the chair that went along with it. 

I blinked and covered my eyes, the color was blinding! I walked over to the dresser where Phasma kept her clothes, digging through each neat stack, finding nothing. I moved on to a side table covered with makeup and brushes tangled with Phasma’s hair. I gagged at the smell of her perfume, before looking underneath her bed. The only object underneath was a plain box.

Inside were photos of Kylo Ren, taken from a distance. One photo was taken outside of my sector near the clock tower. Phasma had been following him. 

Movement in the hallway caused me to jump, and I tucked the box of photos underneath my arm, climbing under the bed. The door opened a moment later, a pair of feet walking over to the edge of the bed before Kylo Ren peered down underneath the bed at me.

“Did you find anything?” he asked.

“Yes!” I cried. “Thanks for scaring me by the way, I almost jumped out of my own skin.”

I held out the box to Kylo Ren, dodging an array of feathers and stinky perfume, I crawled out from underneath the bed. Kylo Ren’s expression remained unreadable, blank and void of any emotion. 

“I thought you said I would be on my own,” I said.

“I was able to slip away,” he said. “Anyway, you found something?”

“Ben, Phasma has been following you,” I said. “She knows everything.”

Kylo Ren took one of the pictures in his hands, his brow furrowing when he noticed the setting. “I knew she wasn’t Jedi, I just didn’t think she was spying on me too.” 

“She’s been following you for a while,” I said, digging through the stack of photos.

I offered Kylo Ren a snapshot Phasma had taken of him while he was in Coruscant. I recognized the pantheon and architecture because I had seen it so many times at home through advertisements. In the photo, Kylo Ren was heading down an alleyway, looking inconspicuous in his Storm Trooper disguise. Phasma had to be close behind him, based on the angle the photo was taken from. 

“I was in the first province not long before I came to get you,” Kylo Ren said, taking the photo from my hands. “Are there any other photos in there she could have taken when were outside together? Maybe one of us on the mountain trail?”

I flipped through the photos, stopping at an image of me and Kylo Ren. We weren’t on the mountain trail, but I would recognize the couch he kept in his vault anywhere. He was hovering over me, close enough to kiss me if he wanted. If someone had only seen the picture and hadn’t listened to our conversation, they would suggest we were a couple. My hand was grasping the collar of Kylo Ren’s shirt, and his eyes bore into mine as if I were going to melt into the couch cushions. 

Kylo Ren was silent behind me, blushing slightly as I looked back to meet his gaze. “What are we going to do?” he asked. “We can’t go up to her and tell her you found her pictures. Whoever she is working for or with will kill us.” 

I turned back to the photos, flipping through the stack. I found a few pictures without Kylo Ren in them, pictures of the landscape around the capitol. I flipped to the next photo, finding it wasn’t a photo at all, but a slip of paper reminding Phasma of an event at Supreme Leader’s palace. 

I couldn’t read what the sloppy handwriting said, but the event would be taking place at the palace in two days, in the evening. The only other thing I could make out was the entertainment for the night, the execution of a family charged with the crime of protecting their young child who was Jedi. 

“We don’t need to worry about that,” I said to Kylo Ren. “Let her think her secret is still safe. I do agree that we need to figure out who she is working for. What better way to find out what Phasma is up to than by going directly to the source?”

Kylo Ren raised an eyebrow as I showed him the note. His eyes scanned the writing repeatedly before he crumpled the note in his hands, catching it on fire. “It’s definitely Phasma’s handwriting,” he said. “I can barely read it.”

“From what you could read, what’s our plan?” I asked. 

A grin came across his face slowly as he met my gaze. “How can we be so rude Rey? Phasma obviously left this invitation for us! Who are we to ignore it? It’d be a shame if we ignored the Supreme Leader’s hospitality.” 

A smile spread across my lips, and a fire bursting out on my lips from the excitement. “We’re going to the capital.”


	17. Husband and Wife

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So you may have noticed I changed the rating and a few tags. This next chapter is smut smut smut with a hint of lemon, so if this is uncomfortable for you DO NOT READ IT!

Padme didn’t ask why I needed a formal gown, she was happy enough that I had come to her again for help with my hair and makeup. She was willing to keep quiet about my second visit to her, which Kylo Ren and I needed desperately. 

“Rey, you are going to be _so_ pretty by the time I’m done with you! You will look like a genuine capital princess! Everyone will wonder who you are and who you’re with and—” 

“I think I’ll be fine without too many of the details Padme,” I said, wincing.

Padme straightened my hair, pulling it into a ponytail, wrapping a smaller section of hair around the plastic band. She dusted my face with heavy makeup and painted my lips a light pink color.

“It’ll bring out the color of your eyes,” Padme said. “Let's just say my ultimate goal is to see to it that Kylo Ren and Phasma never share a kiss again!”

“Do you really think he likes me?” I mused. 

Padme pushed a hairpin into my scalp, causing me to wince with pain as she answered me. “Honey, a woman can tell when a man is faking, and he is faking with her big time. Whenever I see him look at you, there is no doubt in my mind. You are the only one he sees, Rey.”

I bowed my head, soaking in what she had said when two metal objects pierced my ears. I screeched at the pain which hurt at first and glared at her as she laughed. 

“Are you sure this is worth it?” I asked. “Are people at the ball really going to care if I wear real diamonds in my ears or not?” 

“You don’t understand because you aren’t from the first Five Provinces. These events are always televised. The press is all over this! Every person who steps through that door is evaluated based on the dress they wear.” 

I rolled my eyes and allowed her to start painting my nails a gold color. After she was done with my makeup, she helped me into a ball gown. The dress was long sleeved and backless, with glittering jewels decorating that fabric. The dress itself clung to my every curve, traveling down my body and to the floor, leaving a slight train behind me. According to Padme it was a mermaid style which was “perfect for my curves”. Slipping my feet into a pair of shoes, I was glad the ordeal was over. 

“Be careful in these shoes,” she said. “I wore them once, big mistake! They do hurt your feet, I won’t lie, so after a while, you might want to take them off.” 

“How am I going to rob a palace wearing these?” I asked. 

“So _that’s_ why you’re going.” Padme chuckled. She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth before shaking her head. “I guess I could put you in flats, but that is _so_ last season.” 

I rolled my eyes, walking towards the mirror in my room, and gazing at my reflection. Padme tapped me on the shoulder, handing me a small black box. 

"For you," she said. "Kylo Ren says you'll need it to be convincing."

I frowned, taking the bow and gently opened the lid. Inside was a wedding band. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt my stomach churn. The ring was beautiful, I was too afraid to touch it. Padme slipped the ring onto my finger for me, offering me a smile. 

"I told you he likes you," she said. "I don't know any other men who would design a wedding band just for a single night unless it meant something else to them."

I blushed and turned away fingering the metal band as I gazed at myself in the mirror. “Where can I hide my pistol?” I asked, tucking a stray hair behind my newly pierced ears. 

Padme handed me a pistol holster I could strap to my thigh, and I heard a knock on the wooden door of my room. I walked by her dresser, quickly sliding a dagger in an outer-pocket of the holster. Padme opened the door, speaking quietly to Snaps who shifted on his feet.

“Rey, are you done?” he asked. “Kylo Ren wanted me to tell you that he has the car ready!”

“Yes!” I shouted back to him. “I just need to grab my sunglasses-”

“Oh no,” Padme said. “No need to wear those tonight. The makeup I have put on you gives you an air of mystery. No sunglasses! Or I swear I will find you in that ball, and murder you.” 

“Jedi can’t die,” I shot back. 

“It’s an expression,” Padme said flatly. 

I stepped out into the hallway and wobbled on the heeled shoes. Snaps offered me his arm, and I took it, giving him a grateful smile. 

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Snaps asked. “Going to the palace with Kylo Ren? You still don’t have your flames completely under control.”

“I don’t have a choice,” I said. “I have too.” 

“Well,” Snaps said. “If it’s any consolation, you look beautiful.” 

“Thank you, Snaps.” 

“Kylo Ren is a _lucky_ man.” 

I rolled my eyes, and wobbled the rest of the way towards the garage. The black car rumbled as I edged closer and I stumbled to the passenger side door. 

Kylo Ren sat in the driver seat beside me and his mouth stood gaping open. His hair was combed back in a part, and a fake stubble was drawn across his chin. 

“Rey, you look smoking—I mean gorgeous—I mean...  _amazing_ ,” he said. 

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” I chuckled. “However, the fake stubble beard is a little much. Are you trying to look like a forty-year-old businessman?”

“Finn thought it would be a good idea. Besides, tonight we are posing as a wealthy aristocratic couple,” Kylo Ren said, pulling away in the car. "I assume Padme gave you the ring?"

I nodded, glancing back down at the ring sitting on my finger. Something about it almost seemed...right. 

As we sped towards the capital, and I peered out the window seeing the beautiful landscape change around me. The lights of the capital lit up the air as we edged closer and closer towards the first Province border. The trees were decorated with lights that flashed different royal colors. The Storm Troopers I could see as we passed by wore red uniforms decorated with medals instead of black cloth. 

Kylo Ren’s plan for blending in worked well, as the palace guards let us pass through the main gate without a hint of doubt. I stepped from the car in awe, my mouth dropping open. I had only seen pictures of the palace a few times while I was in school, but seeing it in person stopped my heart from beating. 

The dome of the palace rose at least twenty feet in the air. Gardens and separate courtyard areas flanked the sides of the palace, with two long pools sitting in the front like a moat. Columns decorated with vines rose from the ground like trees, surrounding the roof. Lanterns hung from each, spreading an amber glow around the roof of the palace.  

Kylo Ren offered me his arm as we began walking up the long staircase to the entrance. From inside, I could hear instruments playing classical music from the old world and modern era. 

Other guests flanked around us in brightly colored dresses and suits. One woman wore a bowl on her head with goldfish that swam in the glass bottom parts of her shoes. Another couple wore feathers and gold, accompanied by two children who looked like wet baby birds with bright red mouths. 

I couldn’t help but stare. How could a parent subject their child to the brutality of an execution at such a young age? Much less the execution of another child that is possibly their same age?

Kylo Ren squeezed my hand, leaning in closer to my ear. “I know it’s hard, but don’t think about it,” he whispered. “We won’t get inside if you burst into flames out here on the lawn.”

“Why aren’t we dressed like they are?” I asked. “Don’t we stand out?”

“Not really, no,” Kylo Ren said. “Padme said that newly married couples that are in the aristocracy must attend a function together three months after they are married to get a symbol assigned to their family by the Supreme Leader. Apparently, when that Supreme Leader dies you have to go back to the palace and receive a new one from their successor.”

“Why would we need to get close to the Supreme Leader?” I asked. “All we need is their computer room, and a way to sneak that family out and to the car.”

“Yes, but we’re going to need a distraction. From what Padme told me, it’s customary for the bride to dance with the Supreme Leader,” Kylo Ren said. “You do know how to waltz right?”

I frowned. “Ben, I was raised in poverty. I don’t understand any of this!”

We reached the top of the steps and walked onto a flat platform made of polished stone that lead down into the ballroom. Servants walked around us, carrying trays of food and different lights to hang in places that needed them. Another servant walked around offering room keys to couples who accepted them immediately.

“Why are they passing around room keys?” I asked.

Kylo Ren didn’t hear me, his attention placed on a set of guards scanning the invitations of guests at the door. A few checked the IDs of a few men, who bore a striking resemblance to him, while another checked the women. 

One of the guard’s eyes snapped towards us and narrowed. My heart beat in my chest as he started approaching us, I squeezed Kylo Ren’s hand. 

“What do we do?” I asked. “He saw us!” 

“Do you have the ring on?” Kylo Ren asked. “The wedding band?”

“Yes, why?” I asked, my hand inching towards the pistol kept on my thigh. 

Kylo Ren quickly pulled me by the hand into a tiny alcove in the hallway. He pinned me against the wall, his arms at both of my sides. 

“Do you trust me?” He whispered in my ear.

I nodded, and without another word, his lips captured mine in a bruising kiss. I flung my arms tightly around his neck, ignoring the nervous churn of my stomach. His tongue parted the seam of my lips, slipping into my mouth. A moan involuntarily escaped me, but it only encouraged him to deepen the kiss further. 

I heard the guard clear his throat behind us as Kylo Ren moved his lips to my neck. A shiver went down my spine and I bit my lip as I offered the guard a flirty smile.

“Yes?” I asked, my voice almost silent. 

A shiver of pleasure traveled down my spine as Kylo Ren fondled my breasts through the fabric of my dress, teasing my nipples. His mouth attached itself to my neck, violently sucking my skin until a bruise appeared.

“Madame,” the guard said, turning away slightly from us. “Are you and your husband looking for the complimentary rooms provided by his majesty?”

“Why yes, of course,” I said. “You’ll have to forgive us. This is a part of our honeymoon. We just married, you see, a few days ago.” 

“Congratulations,” the guard offered, before placing a room key in my hand. “I politely ask that you find your room quickly. The palace staff would greatly appreciate it if guests did not… procreate in the hallways.” 

“I understand,” I said, taking Kylo Ren by the chin before placing another kiss to his lips. I lead him by the hand down the hall and out of sight of the retreating guard, and into the room that was gifted to us. 

After the door shut, I immediately went to the window, looking outside. Guests continued to come inside, but there was no heavy presence of guards outdoors besides a few men walking around the exterior fence. 

“What do we do now?” I asked Kylo Ren, turning back to face him, only to find the thief was a few steps behind me. His eyes were darkened with lust. He hesitated before he reached out, and stroked the skin of my back exposed by my dress. 

“Rey,” he whispered. “I uh…I’m sorry if I went too far in the hallway. I just wasn’t sure what to do.”

I blushed as he continued to move his hand up and down my back. “There’s nothing to apologize for, Ben, ” I replied, my voice quiet. “I…enjoyed it.” 

Kylo Ren wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me closer to him so that my hands were pressed against his chest. An unexplainable heat traveled between us, as the embers of my lips sparked, and a fire sprouted to life. Kylo Ren leaned forward and put out the flame with his tongue before pressing another kiss to my lips. I wrapped my arms around him as I answered his kisses back with the same fervor, ignoring the shiver that went down my spine as his hands traveled down my waist. I pulled him closer by the collar of his shirt, aching to feel his lips against mine again, and again. 

A moan escaped my lips as he palmed my breasts, his obvious erection rubbing against my stomach. Kylo Ren suddenly picked me up in his arms, his lips never leaving mine as he pinned me against the wall. My hands traveled down his chest, nervously hesitating before slipping into his pants to cup his hardened cock. Kylo Ren bit my lip as his head rolled backward in pleasure. I swiped my tongue across the cut, feeling the tiny flame heel his bite, but I wish it had stayed longer.

I started to move my hand up and down his swollen shaft, blushing at the size of him. 

“Shit, Rey,” Ben hissed in my ear. He nibbled at my earlobe before attacking my neck. I shivered with ecstasy as his teeth dug into my skin. He was marking me his, and I was glad to assume the role.

“Ben,” I whispered to him, my eyes fluttering shut, and I quickened the pace of my hand on his cock. 

“Rey, oh Rey,” Ben whispered, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down in his throat. “Rey your mouth, please….kriff.”

I slid to my knees, zipping open his pants, his hardened cock springing free from its prison a second later. I bit my lip before taking a long lick of the shaft, almost like it were an ice cream cone. Ben cursed again, tangling his fingers in my hair as I did it again, this time slower. I took him in mouth, moving my lips up and down his swollen cock, scraping my teeth against the sensitive skin. I began to taste ash, and smirked, knowing that the pain brought him pleasure. 

“More please,” the thief begged. 

I obliged, swirling my tongue around his cock as I bobbed my head up and down. His dick twitched violently as his length met the back of my throat. I almost gagged, but my cares went away as he came, and drank his salty cum like it was water and I was dying of thirst. 

I sucked him clean and zipped his pants, rising back to my feet to meet his lips once again. Kylo Ren answered back by pulling away from me, and pressing two kisses to my wrists. I frowned, wondering if I had done something wrong, but I was quickly distracted by the thief when he got down on his knees, and slowly pushed the skirt of my dress up over his head. 

My head thudded instantly against the wall, when I felt the first kiss against my thigh. His fingers dragged the lacy fabric of my panties down my legs to my ankles before tossing them across the room. I began to hyperventilate when he licked my clit, his tongue diving in and out of the hot steaming walls of my pussy. I tried to shut my thighs, but he held them apart with his hands as he pleasured me. 

“Kriff…Ben,” I whispered, barely audible.

“Fuck Rey, you’re so wet,” he replied against the skin of my thigh. 

His tongue traced the outer edge of my clit before darting in and out of my vagina. Stars danced in front of my eyes when he bit down onto the skin of my thigh, and his fingers hooked themselves against my walls. I cried aloud, shuttering as he added a third finger, moving his digits as if he were pulling me closer to him.

“Oh right there!” I cried in ecstasy. “Oh please, Ben, please don’t stop!”

“Rey…goddess divine,” Ben replied, his tongue finding it’s way back to my aching pussy. “Rey, you taste so good.”

I felt a pressure build up inside me, similar to the build up of my flame, as he quickened the movement of his tongue and fingers. My chest heaved up and down, and I gripped the fabric of my skirt. 

“Ben…I’m going to….”

“Shhhh,” Ben whispered. “Cum for me, Reyna.”

His tongue thrusted into me and I lost it, sliding slowly down the wall to the floor to my knees. Ben licked his lips, smirking as he lead me close to bed which sat on the opposite side of the room. I laid back against the silk comforter as he climbed on top of me, his gaze predatory. His kiss was passionate and deep as his tongue wrestled with my own for dominance. My back dug deeper into the sheets, but I could barely feel the fabric as my hands tugged through his hair. 

I lost all ability to breathe and think when his lips connected with the sensitive skin of my collarbone. A moan escaped my lips, causing him to chuckle. His hands traveled down to my back, lingering on the skin exposed by the backless dress I wore. My toes curled as I felt him begin to unzip the fabric, the remains of the dress slipped away from my body onto the floor, leaving me bare before him.

Kylo Ren’s eyes traveled up and down my body as he smiled, lifting chin up so that I could face him.

“You are so beautiful,” he said to me. “So beautiful Rey.”

I bit my lip, focusing on trying not to stutter out the words: “Ben, will you make love to me? Like we are really husband and wife?”

“Is that what you want?” He asked me, his voice barely audible. 

I nodded, feeling a flame flicker to life between my breasts. Ben dipped his head down kissed the crevice between them, snuffing out the flame. My eyes fluttered closed with pleasure. I blinked them open to see him quickly remove his jacket, shirt, pants, shoes, and underwear. I climbed under the sheets, waiting for him to join me.

Ben slid into the bed beside me, stroking the bare skin of my stomach.

“I want nothing but to worship you, Rey,” he whispered, disappearing under the blankets as he pressed featherlight kisses against my breasts. These kisses were so much different than the ones shared in the hallway, or against the wall as we pleasured each other orally. I felt loved by him.

Ben’s tongue swirled around the nipple of my left breast as his other hand gently cupped the other. He paid the same attention to my right breast before he stopped. I lifted the blanket to see his ear pressed against my bare skin, listening to the beating of my heart. 

He met my gaze and smiled returning above the blankets to meet my lips again. A soft moan came from my lips as I twirled his hair in my fingers. His hands gently parted my thighs as he hovered above my entrance. He pushed in slowly the first time and I hissed slightly with pain. Ben noticed this and met my gaze.

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” he said.

I nodded and kissed him to offer him encouragement to start moving. He thrusted into me as I moved my hips in tandem with his. My back arched slightly from the movement, and the sweat slid down my back onto the sheets beneath me. Ben’s lips returned to my breasts as he thrusted into me. 

“So beautiful,” he said. “My beautiful, badass wife.”

“Oh yes,” I replied, my voice breathy. “Your wife.”

“My wife…”

Ben met my lips again, quickening his pace slightly. A moan suddenly escaped me as he rubbed up against a sweet spot. He quickly found the spot again without trouble, and I cried out, my mouth forming an “o”. My back arched higher, no sound coming from my lips as he plunged a finger inside me to continue rubbing the spot. 

A fire burst to life on both of my breasts, traveling up my collar bone and to my lips. Ben continued to move in and out of me as he traced the path of the flame with his tongue. He paid extra attention to my left breast, which I deemed was his favorite, and suckled like a babe. 

I gripped his shoulders and flipped us over, so that I was now on top of him. He laughed, but was silenced when I began to move. I rocked my hips back and forth in a circle, leaning backwards. Ben’s hands gripped my hips as an impending orgasm began to overtake him. I felt the same ecstasy start to build up within me, and met his lips with a passionate kiss.

Ben flipped me over, so that I was returned to the bottom, and he was back on top. The same rhythm we followed earlier increased slowly with every second, but it wasn’t rough, it was affectionate. 

“My wife,” Ben whispered again. “Rey…I’m going to cum.”

“Ben,” I whispered, pulling him closer to me. “Oh Ben…please…more. More, Ben…”

“Rey…”

Ben repeated my name like a mantra, gripping my hips, his knuckles turning white. A flame flicked to life on my chest, a similar blaze rose from the same area above Ben’s bellybutton. The sparks melded together as one, infighting both of our bodies as Ben came inside me, my folds slick with my own cum. The fires flickered out, leaving the embers of the bed spread smoldering in the cool air of the room. 

Ben rode out his orgasm, collapsing slightly against my chest. The sweat of our bodies mixed together in the sheets as Ben pressed a kiss to my lips, and slid into the spot beside me. I snuggled up against him, relishing in the warmth his skin always carried. The wedding band I had slipped onto my finger at the beginning of the night gleamed in the dark. I twisted the ring around my finger, wondering where Ben had found it, or who he had stolen it from.

“I didn’t steal it,” Ben said, taking me from my thoughts. “I actually had it made for you specifically. I didn’t originally intend for it to be for tonight, just as a gift for later. If you look on the inside, your name should be etched into the gold.”

I slid the ring from my finger and found the cursive writing on the inside. My name sat in the middle, surrounded by intricate carvings of flowers. 

“It’s beautiful,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Thank you.” 

“Well it’s the least I could do,” Ben said with a shrug. “I did fuck you.”

I laughed and playfully hit him on the shoulder as he chuckled in return. I climbed onto his lap, slipping the ring back onto my finger.

“We should return to the ball,” I said, “don’t you think?”

“Probably,” Ben said, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. “I want to dance with you at some point this evening, until we make our interruption.”

I remembered the family we had come to save and nodded. I climbed from his lap, walking over to where my panties had been thrown, slipping the lacy garment back onto my body. Ben watched from the bed as I dipped my hand inside the fabric and began to tease my aching pussy. 

“I’m still so wet,” I said. “Still so wet for you…”

Ben grunted, and I watched as his hand beneath the sheets began to grip himself. I curled my fingers up inside my clit, teasing myself like he had done a few moments earlier. I cupped my breast, squeezing it. 

“Oh Ben…if only you would touch me…”

“Rey,” Ben warned. “We need…to go to the ball. That family.” His face was red, but he continued to masterbate, his pace quickening. 

My eyes shut as my fingers teased the spot on my walls, and a loud moan escaped my lips. The phantom Ben I imagined thrusted into me violently like an animal. My toes curled as I continued to grope my breast, and slid a second finger into my pussy lips. It was nothing like Ben’s cock, and my body ached with the loss of his girth. I shoved a third and forth finger inside myself, while Ben growled in frustration. 

“Rey…that family…”

I came onto my fingers, stumbling back into a chair that sat nearby. I licked my fingers clean, watching as Ben's face continued to redden. I teased my nipples, pinching them between my fingers, rolling my head back as I swiped a finger covered in my own cum across my lips. Ben howled as he came into his hand. I rose from the chair, and hovered at the edge of the bed, watching his heaving chest. I lifted up the blankets, and climbed underneath, finding his naked body. I began to lick him clean, humming at the taste of his salty cum. 

“Naughty,” Ben choked out. “My naughty little wife. Such a tease.” 

I took one long lick up the complete length of his dick before tossing the sheets from his body. I smirked and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. 

“It’s a shame. You’re such an easy husband to tease,” I giggled, rubbing against his twitching cock. I climbed from his lap, removing my wet panties as I walked over to where Ben’s clothes laid on the floor. I slipped the lacy garment into one of the pockets on the inside of his jacket, and held a finger to my lips. 

“We’ll just say you stole them from me,” I said. 

Ben laughed, shaking his head. I picked up my shoes and dress and walked into the adjoining bathroom without another word, and closed the door behind me.


	18. Three little words

After redressing and returning to the key to the complimentary room, we rejoined the other guests waiting to enter the ballroom. I took Kylo Ren’s hand as we were escorted down a long staircase onto the main floor. As I looked around I could tell Kylo Ren was trying to evaluate what he wanted to steal. The main floor of the ballroom was decorated with golden flowers and lights. The floor was waxed a shiny pearl white with a white carpet that lead to the Supreme Leader’s throne at the back of the room. 

“Now we have to blend in,” Kylo Ren said, in my ear. 

Our hands brushed before he clasped mine fully in his own. The orchestra I heard from outside stood by two large statues of the Supreme Leader, playing a waltz. One of Kylo Ren’s hands snaked itself around my waist and the other squeezed my right hand tightly. 

“Are we dancing right now?” I asked, feeling my heart flutter as he spun me around in a circle.

Kylo Ren only smiled in response and drew me in closer towards his body. I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling his burning red eyes stare down at me. My neck tingled with a small flame and Kylo Ren cupped his hand behind my head in order to hide it. We shuffled quietly off the dance floor, and into a corner beside the long staircase that lead to the main floor of the palace. 

“I wish I could control them,” I said quietly, aware of the other couples around us. They whispered quietly to each other, much like we were doing. 

“I think that’s one of the greatest things about you,” Kylo Ren said. “Yes, it is dangerous, but it also lets me know how you feel.”

 

The music stopped playing in the ballroom once a gong rang throughout the palace. The other guests began to clap and cheer as the Supreme Leader emerged from a separate area at the top of the room. I began clapping softly, blending in the best I could. The Supreme Leader raised his hands, and the crowd around me silenced. 

He was shorter than I expected but broad like a soldier. He had powerful and large hands, with silver hair at his temples. He was handsome in a predatory, brutish way. His blue eyes glittered like two polished rocks, opaque and impenetrable. 

“Thank you,” he said. His voice was bass and charismatic, sending a shiver down my spine. There was something about the way he smiled, the way he looked at the guests that seemed faux. I could almost see his true feelings on his statuesque face, but it was hard to read. 

His gaze passed over me in the crowd, and I felt like a bug underneath a microscope. My hand quickly grasped Kylo Ren’s squeezing it tightly as his eyes lingered upon me for a moment before moving on. The relief I felt didn’t remain with me for long as the Supreme Leader began to speak. 

“My loyal people!” Supreme Leader’s voice carried from the top of the staircase. “Tonight, we celebrate Bellona and her children! However, we must remember that this blessed paradise given to us by God has been stricken with a plague—a plague my family has protected you from for generations! As your protector and Supreme Leader, it is my decree that during the executions that shall take place tonight, you think not of the death and despair, but of the future. For every Jedi that is gone from our lives, there is one less monster for you and your children to encounter! Let the party begin!”

“Long live the Supreme Leader!” the guests around me shouted. 

Supreme Leader Skywalker descended the staircase and mingled around the room, moving slowly from group to group, and making small talk. Wherever he would go, guests would stand straighter, men would fix their ties, women would lower the necklines of their dresses. He would speak with a group of guests for a moment, his commanding voice rumbling, and then he would move along without another word. I shivered whenever I heard his deep voice edging closer.

Ben gently turned my chin towards him, meeting my gaze. “Remember Rey, stay calm.”

I heard the Supreme Leader’s voice behind me and moved to face him. I was proud of myself, as I didn’t step back; his presence was overpowering, broad and powerful, oozing confidence. The Supreme Leader smiled. 

“And who might you be?” he asked Kylo Ren.

Ben smiled back and put his hand on the small of my back. I relaxed at his touch, and Kylo Ren said, “Banovac Martes, your majesty. This is my wife— “

Supreme Leader Skywalker cut him off and bowed to me. “Ah, you are newlyweds, if I am not mistaken? Then I believe this dance is mine.” He held out a broad hand. “If you would give me the honor, Madame?”

I cleared my throat and placed my hand in his. I felt as if I were small, nothing more than a toy ballerina spinning in his palm. I hid my revulsion with a smile. “The honor is all mine, my lord.”

The Supreme Leader smiled and led me gently out onto the dance floor as the band started to play a light, chittering song encompassed by a violin and a flute. It was the newlywed song, a slow but upbeat tune. Dozens of other dancing couples surrounded us as the Supreme Leader led me during the first steps, and I soon lost sight of Ben. 

Supreme Leader tsk-ed, and I looked up into his piercing gaze. “You are as taut as a spring. Please, I rarely bite.” The old man bared his teeth in a grin, healthy white tombstones that were as broad and powerful as the rest of him.

I swallowed. “Forgive me. I suppose I’m just nervous.”

  Supreme Leader spun me out and wound me back in like a yoyo, a gentle and beautiful display of dancing. I hated him for it. “Why be nervous? You dance beautifully.”

“You can thank my husband for that. We have practiced quite a bit recently.”

He chuckled, and it was charismatic, pleasant, and made my skin crawl. “Not for me, I hope. Careful my dear, here comes the dip.” Supreme Leader spun me around and gracefully lowered me into a dip as the song ran to a slow stop. The audience of party guests clapped as the musicians transitioned to another song. 

The Supreme Leader continued to keep me in his grip, his hands were as gentle as if he were holding a dove but as solid and as firm as iron. He held me in place for a moment, and then straightened, drawing me up after him. He held my hand and gave it a kiss. “My apologies for being so crass, but I’m afraid I did not even ask your name.”

I smiled tightly. His expression was poison. “Ariadne, your highness.”

Supreme Leader Skywalker smiled and let me go. Then he leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “A lovely name; but I do prefer Reyna.”

I was frozen in shock, my eyes open. I blinked, and he had melted into the crowd of leaving dancers. I spun around and looked for Ben, hurrying to his side as fast as I could without seeming out of place.

“What happened?” Kylo Ren asked me. 

I was about to answer him when separate doors to the ballroom opened, and I watched as servants hurried out with more platters of food and implements for the impending execution. The servants began placing down tools for the executioner to use, each covered in venom. I eyed them closely, as a second pedestal was set up by the first, but it was different. Three barrels of salted water were brought into the room and poured into a boiling tin. My skin prickled and the heat rebelled inside me. 

“Ben, something doesn’t seem right,” I said in his ear. 

A surge of eyes turned to the wall as the room seemed to gather an icy chill. An electronic tablet displayed a video onto the flat wall of the ballroom, the video flickering onto the screen as snowy white static until the mp4 file began to play. I clenched my fists as a clear view of Doctor Ventress came onto the screen. She had just sat down at the computer, but she had a pained expression on her face. 

“ _What exactly are you looking for_?” the Doctor asked a figure in the background. “ _I cannot help you find what you desire unless I know more_.” 

I shifted in place. The conversation seemed vaguely familiar to me and sent a shiver down my spine.

“ _Access all the information you have on the Old Country_ ,” a voice said in the background. “ _Particularly for the year 2001. Don’t leave anything out._ ” 

By now the entire ballroom was watching, including Supreme Leader Skywalker as the doctor moved her fingers across the board. I shut my eyes in silent horror as I realized what she had done. The webcam recorded the entire event. It recorded _everything._

“ _No_!” I screamed in the background of the video. 

“ _Thank you for cooperating_ ,” the dead Doctor Ventress smirked eliciting a few chuckles from the party guests. “ _I’m afraid whatever you were looking for from that era is now gone from our server_.”

I cursed in the background and the Doctor laughed at my response. “ _Never try and steal from the Supreme Leader sweetie_ ,” she sneered. “ _He_ always _has a plan_.” 

The ballroom erupted in applause and cheers for the Supreme Leader. People shouted for blood. They shouted for the girl on the video to be put to death. 

A moment later in the video, I hit the Doctor across the head with my gun and pushed her out of the chair. I turned away from the projected screen once I took off my sunglasses. I took Kylo Ren’s hand as the sliding door of the lab opened in the background, and he came into the room. This was the first time his face would be seen on camera. 

The video was paused as more party guests started to shout for death. Even the children who came with their parents screamed requests for me to be stoned to death. 

Supreme Leader Skywalker moved among the crowds, holding up his hands for silence. A smug smile covered his mouth, as he quietly gloated in victory. “My loyal subjects!” He called out to the crowds, a smile coming across his thin lips. “Our guests on the video gladly took the invitation I issued them. It is my honor to welcome Bellona’s oldest enemy Kylo Ren and his...  _partner_ in crime to their execution.”

A spotlight from above pointed bright light down on me and Kylo Ren. The rest of the guests turned towards us, excitement filling them. They were ready for the blood and death. This is what they were here to see. I grabbed Kylo Ren’s hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Ben, I swear, I didn’t know she was recording!”

“Don’t worry,” Kylo Ren told me. “Follow my lead.”

He stepped forward towards Supreme Leader, keeping his head tall. Once his body caught on fire, mine followed as my heart beat wildly. “If it isn’t my old friend Anakin!” Kylo Ren smirked. “Inviting me to one of your parties just so I could steal from you, oh how sweet!”

The Supreme Leader waved off his response, telling the Storm Trooper guards who had gathered around him a simple: “Kill them” as if it had already been done. Three Storm Troopers ran towards me and I concentrated, focusing on the training I had with Finn. I produced enough fire in my hands to throw a small ball at two of the Storm Troopers, punching the other in the face. 

Two other Troopers came from behind me, dumping the entire contents of one of the salt water barrels on top of me. All the fire that had originally covered my body became snuffed out. 

“Rey!” Kylo Ren cried, seeing my distress. 

Three Storm Troopers tackled him, pinning him to the floor as the party guests shouted for murder. Two more wrenched my arms behind my neck, pushing me against the wall. I grunted in pain, watching as the other Storm Troopers tried to fasten a noose around Kylo Ren’s neck. 

I screamed in pain, feeling the rage building inside me. I let the rest of my body go limp as the fire built. I summoned all the strength I had, every single white-hot flame I could possibly possess and yelled a battle cry as I threw aside my attackers and exploded like a bomb. I felt weightless, almost as if I were the flame itself until I rematerialized on the ballroom floor. 

The central section of the ballroom caught on fire, the chandlers above taking a direct hit from my flames. The party guests ran in fear, screaming. Supreme Leader  Skywalker pushed through the crowd, picking up a fallen gun as his weapon. He aimed the pistol at my forehead, firing a bullet. I ran up the staircase, running out onto the balcony and dove underneath a table, pulling Ben down beside me. Another bullet screeched as it hit the front side of the table. 

“We need a plan to get out of here,” I said. 

“Keep him busy,” Kylo Ren said to me quickly. “I’ll go get the records we need from the computer room. You distract him!”

“Ben, don’t leave! It’s too dangerous!” I hissed, watching him slink away. 

Another bullet erupted through the table, nearly hitting me in the arm. I grabbed a fallen wine glass, breaking the bowl of the glass against the ballroom floor. I waited until the Supreme Leader emptied the bullets of the gun into the table, and came charging at me. 

Anakin snarled and tossed the weapon aside, advancing on me like a predatory beast. He grabbed the table and threw it aside, and I used that chance to grab the base of the wine glass and thrust the broken stem into his chest, twisting the makeshift blade. He barely flinched, and the back of his hand caught my face, spinning me away. He grimaced and pulled the glass from his chest, tossing it aside. 

“Where’s your Kylo Ren?” He asked, mocking me. “Where is your thief? Did he steal himself away? Has he robbed himself of his courage, leaving a girl to do what he should be doing?”

I felt the anger start to churn inside me, the molten lead in my veins boiling like hot water. I smiled viciously, my arms breaking out into flames. “I’m plenty to take down one old man.”

I felt the rage of what this monster had done for so long, the resentment at how he made me live, and I threw it all into the fire in my hands. The Supreme Leader’s eyes widened as the stream of hellish flames erupted from my palms, and he raised an arm to shield his face. But it couldn’t do him any good, even I could feel the heat. I laughed, knowing that he could be nothing but a charred husk, a cinder left to be brushed away on the floor when a black gloved hand reached from the inferno and grabbed my own in a grip that could crush a mountain.

Like a spirit from Hell, he laughed in the flames, snuffing out the fireball with his huge hand. I gasped, and he put one hand on my chest while he swept my legs out from under me, slamming me to the ground. The air left my lungs in a sick wheezing gasp, and he lifted a foot. One huge, metal-capped boot came like a meteor towards my face, and I rolled away, feeling the floor of the balcony tremble behind me. 

“Did you say goodbye, Rey? It doesn’t matter, you’ll see your Kylo Ren again when I send you both to Hell!”

I staggered to my feet, finally clawing air into my lungs. He was quick for a large man, upon me in a moment. I summoned a flame and threw it at his head, but he just batted it aside with one gloved hand as he charged forward. I saw a fist coming in low and tried to block, realizing a moment too late that it was in vain. His huge hand covered my face, reaching almost around to the back of my skull. I could feel the incredible strength in his hand as he drove me back, slamming me into a wall. My head bounced, and I stumbled around the room, stunned.

“You thought you could fight me, girl? Ha! I’ve killed Jedi older than you, stronger than you, men in their primes! Kylo Ren thought that you, a little girl could handle me, while he weaseled away to steal my secrets?” 

I summoned a blast of fire and the air around my body exploded. The blast should have subdued him, but the Supreme Leader screamed with rage, his hair burnt and face red. He laid a powerful hand on my shoulder and the other on my waist, lifting me into the air, and brought me down onto his knee.

I felt something crack, and I screamed with pain as my legs went numb. He didn’t look charismatic now, he looked wild and triumphant. He lifted a boot and said, “I’ll be sure to tell your precious thief how you fell, screaming in pain!”

The thought of Ben made the molten lead in my veins start to bubble. A fire broke out on my fingers, and he laughed. “What will that do to me?” The Supreme Leader teased.

“Not to you,” I said, and blasted the floor beneath his feet. The tortured wood gave away with a sudden crack, and he fell through. His hand flew out and grabbed my arm, his other hand scraping at the floor. 

“If I fall, you fall with me!” he hissed.

I groaned with pain, struggling to release myself from his grip. Underneath his coat my eyes flew to a chain with a gold locket attached, I reached out and tore it from his neck. 

“You forgot how fast we heal,” I said, and brought my leg around and pushed the Supreme Leader away. He cried out as he fell through the hole into the inferno below. I stumbled, struggling to keep to my feet. My legs were pillars of pain, but I had to find Ben.

I knocked out a Storm Trooper I met in the hallway, shooting holes in the ceiling to scare away the other party guests. I wiped ash from my cheeks as I looked through every room, finding nothing until I reached the main area of the third floor. 

A large glass window showed the area of the third floor across the courtyard. Smoke came from a window from the opposite side, and I smiled. There was still a chance he was still alive.

I flung open the large window, yelling out Kylo Ren’s name, hoping to catch his attention wherever he had ended up. “Ben!” I cried. “Ben, where are you?”

Dark smoke continued to flow from the opposite side of the palace until a window broke from across the courtyard, and Kylo Ren’s head came from the crevice. Relief came over me until an alarm whirred through the hallway, summoning the arrival of more guards.

The gun I had taken from a guard was out of ammo, I wouldn’t be able to fight my way out. I looked to my side desperately trying to find a way from the third floor. Seeing a patch of vines growing by the window, I cheered silently as I began to climb down the wall. 

Kylo Ren met me in the middle of the courtyard and I hugged him, fumbling with my dress as I struggled to fish out the locket from my bodice.

“What did you do to him?” he asked, eyeing the cuts of my hands.

“I stabbed him with a wine glass and knocked him out,” I said, pressing the locket into his palm. “I managed to grab this before I got away.”

“I have taught you so well,” Kylo Ren said pressing a quick kiss to my lips before leading me across the courtyard by the hand. “If the guards don’t figure out our location in the next five minutes, we may be able to get out of here without any trouble.”

An alarm began to blare, followed seconds later by dozens of Storm Troopers coming from a door by the courtyard we were standing in.

“There they are!” one of the guards shouted. 

“Get them!” 

“Too late!” I cried, slipping the heels off my feet. I used the knife I had stored away to cut the long skirt from my dress, ripping the fabric and tossing it towards the men who came after us. As we ran, the rough texture of the pavement rubbed against the bottoms of my feet, leaving a trail of ash in my wake. 

Kylo Ren motioned for me to head towards the outside wall, where the car had been parked. He grabbed my hand, igniting flames where our fingers touched. As the Storm Troopers edged closer to us, I touched the sidewalk watching a large flame explode in front of them. 

Kylo Ren began to sprint towards the car, dragging me along with him. Every car he touched caught on fire, and my heart pumped with more adrenaline. The Storm Troopers moved after us, dodging the flames and shouting numerous curses and threats. Two Storm Troopers came from the opposite side of the lot and one shot me in the shoulder. I cupped my hand to my shoulder, looking for the sign of blood but found none. Their bullets weren’t coated with the venom. Kylo Ren ducked behind a burning car and began to fire back at both Storm Troopers, offering me a chance to heal.

I aimed my gun at their heads, and the flames on my body flickered. One Storm Trooper ran into me, trying to tackle me, but my skin remained hot and my eyes flared as they connected with his. I banged my head against his before stooping down to his level and taking his gun, shoving it into the holster on my thigh. It took me a few moments before I realized I had just been shot by another Storm Trooper as ashes ran down the side of my arm. I elbowed that Storm Trooper in the face and fired a bullet into another Storm Trooper's cheek. I branded my pistol at the Storm Troopers behind me, seeing more coming from the palace. 

“Rey!” Kylo Ren shouted to me. “We have to try and get to the car!”

I looked around me for an escape plan, when I saw the door the Storm Troopers were coming from. If I remembered what the hallway looked like, it was narrow and had no other door to the outside.

“I have an idea!” I shouted back to him.

“Go!” Kylo Ren answered. “I’ll take care of the Troopers!”

I sprinted back towards the door, catching my hands ablaze as I weaved in and out of gunfire. The smooth titanium metal seemed like it would melt under the correct temperatures, and it would stick perfectly to the wall, leaving anyone who was on this side of the palace, locked in. 

I placed my hands on the hard door, feeling the metal begin to turn into warm liquid. After the edges melted into the correct consistency, I moved my hands across the wall, moving the balmy metal into position. I could hear the screams of the people remaining inside and watched smoke come from the windows as the hallway started to burn.  

I looked behind me, seeing Kylo Ren shoot the last Storm Troopers and I sprinted towards my side of the car. Kylo Ren turned on the car, the engine roaring to life. I tossed my pair of shoes into the back seat, and Kylo Ren sped towards the iron gates which guarded the entrance of the palace. The iron bars began to swing shut at an agonizingly slow pace, and I wondered if they would speed up as we edged closer. Kylo Ren grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Grab the remote from the top side pocket,” he said. 

“What does it do?” I asked. 

“It stops the gates from closing. I’ve stolen items from the palace before Rey.”

The gates continued to close before I pressed the button. The car shuddered before a large Gatling gun emerged from the trunk of the car, and a rocket was launched from the barrel. The gate exploded, giving us enough room to pass through. The debris flew behind us, leaving anyone behind us trapped on the inside.

“You have a rocket launcher?” I asked. “You have a rocket launcher in your car!”

“You don’t?” he asked, grinning. 

“No,” I said. “I don’t even have a car!”

Kylo Ren laughed, pressing a button on the steering wheel that caused the roof of the car to retract along with the windows. The seats in the car turned, bringing us to face the back before a third chair came from the floor, and formed a small couch. 

I shot Kylo Ren a look, turning around, looking back towards the steering wheel.

“Don’t worry, we’re on autopilot,” the thief said, his hand fishing the locket from his blazer, staring at the amulet for a moment before he cast the locket out into the forest with a grunt. The amulet disappeared into the moonlight falling among the dead roots and leaves.

“The locket!” I cried. “You’ve tried so hard to steal it! Why throw it away?”

“Wherever that locket goes, corruption follows. I’m not risking anything,” Kylo Ren said, throwing an arm around me. “Besides, you were the one who stole it away from the Supreme Leader, not me. I’m proud to call you my partner.”

I blushed for a moment before my face fell as I thought of Supreme Leader’s angry glaring eyes. “He looked at me with pure hatred,” I said. “I’ve never even met him. This attack was personal, and I know it wasn’t just because of you.”

Kylo Ren frowned before brushing a piece of hair away from my eyes. I shifted in my seat, feeling the heat emitting from his skin. 

“What did you grab from the computer room?” I asked.

“The answer to all our problems,” Kylo Ren answered, pulling out the computer chip. “Bellona’s hard drive. This holds all secret government information, including the Old-World Era info that was deleted by Doctor Ventress.” 

Kylo Ren pressed the chip into my hand, his fingers lingering across my palm. The chip was tiny, smaller than the computer chips stored in the tablets issued by the government. The chip was square-shaped, with a corner of the case material folded inward. It looked older than the other chips I had seen before, the translucent glass framed in the middle of the chip cloudy with age. 

“It looks pretty old,” I said, flipping the chip in my palm. “Does it still work?”

“It should,” Kylo Ren said. “Hopefully it isn’t too old to connect remotely. If it doesn’t work, we can always take it to Jessika. She has all the supplies she needs to fix it in her room.”

I met Kylo Ren’s gaze, placing the chip back into his blazer pocket. “It bothered you, didn’t it?” I asked. “It bothered you that the Supreme Leader set us up?”

“Of course it did,” Kylo Ren said. “He’s always wanted revenge against me for everything.”

“Trying to execute us sounds like revenge to me,” I said, combing my hair back on my head. “Then setting us up again just so he could separate us. It scared me.”

Kylo Ren pursed his lips, shifting in place. “Tonight, when I saw you getting pulled away, with your fire extinguished...my heart stopped. I just kept thinking if you died, I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened.” 

 

I took his hand in my own, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "He's not going to take me away from you. He can try, but he won't succeed." 

Kylo Ren offered me a smile, resting his forehead against my own. His fingers traced the ragged edge of my dress, lingering on my knee.

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

I giggled, running my fingers through his hair. "I believe earlier you used the phrase _goddess divine."_

Kylo Ren laughed and pulled me onto his lap. His smile disappeared from his lips as his nerves took control of his body. His thumb stroked the metal of the wedding band that remained on my finger. 

"Do you think it would forward of me to wish that we really could have come here tonight as man and wife?"

I bit my lip and shook my head. "No," I said. "I can't help but..feel something for you. It's nothing like I felt with Cassian. Ben, I...I love you."

Ben's eyes watered as a laugh escaped his lips. He kissed me repeatedly, but there was no lust simply returned affection. "I love you," he said back to me. "I love you."

We remained there in the car, whispering those three little words back and forth to each other, sitting in the night for what seemed like eternity, with our hearts at peace.


End file.
